


Drowning in Fire

by Domsmelality



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Agony, Blades, Blood, Drowning, Electrocution, Funny Bone Abuse, Hanging, Humiliation, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Multi, Needles, Nightmares, Non-Consensual Tickling, Pain, Strangulation, Torture, Water Stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:20:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 81,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23648380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Domsmelality/pseuds/Domsmelality
Summary: Hawkmoth comes up with a torturous, painful, perfect plan to get what he wants. So perfect, it just might work. And with all the pain he has felt, he wants to punish the heroes of Paris for defying him for so long.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 212
Kudos: 83





	1. Chapter 1

Gabriel smiled to himself as he looked down to his wristwatch. 9:56pm.  
"In less than 24 hours, the first parts of the plan will be in play." He told Nathalie. She nodded. It was a very confident nod.  
"At six 'o clock tomorrow, I create the sentimonster. Ladybug, Chat Noir and whatever other miraculous holders, will go out to fight it. In this time, you will akumatise me. I will attack Chat Noir, and you will then deakumatise me." Nathalie said, stating the first steps to the plan.  
"Yes. And then as Mayura and Hawkmoth, we will easily overpower, ambush and capture Chat Noir while he is vulnerable, and use him as bait. After we have some fun with him first..." Gabriel said, remembering every step to the plan.  
Nathalie nodded. "And even if we do not manage to capture him, the attack I leave on him will leave him practically incapable of anything."

Gabriel smirked at the last part. Lots of people believed Chat Noir was useless anyway. But Gabriel knew different. He knew that Chat Noir loved Ladybug, that was why he was constantly sacrificing himself for her. That was why Nathalie would be attacking Chat Noir and not Ladybug. If Chat Noir saw any oncoming threat to Ladybug, he would put himself in front of her and take the hit himself, so they might as well attack Chat Noir anyway. Gabriel had told himself after Oblivio's defeat that the heroes' love would be the cause of their downfall. Well, Ladybug clearly didn't love Chat Noir, so instead Chat Noir's love will be the cause of his downfall.

Gabriel loved this. He loved how he could so easily manipulate the cat's heart. Similar to how he loved to keep control of Adrien. But tomorrow would not be about Adrien. Tomorrow would be the start of the heroes' defeat, starting with Chat Noir. And, oh, it would be such a painful defeat for them, both mentally, physically and emotionally. Gabriel then proceeded to give one of those villianish laughs, quite loudly. He heard a door open from upstairs.

"Father, is everything alright?" A worried voice called down the stairs. Gabriel's confidence grew into raw anger. He stormed out of his office and looked up the stairs, to see worried green eyes turn into fearful green eyes.  
"What are you doing out of your room, Adrien? If you have so much spare time on your hands, perhaps we should add to your schedule? Perhaps another photo shoot... is that what you want?"  
Adrien shook and lowered his head and headed back into his room, not making a single sound. Gabriel clenched his fists and went back into his office. He walked up to the back of his office and peered up, to the portrait of Emilie. There was a glint on darkness in his eyes. For the first time in a very long time, the corners of his mouth raised slightly, revealing a sinister smile, normally only seen on Hawkmoth.  
"Get ready, Nathalie. We have a big day tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

"Second Chance!" Viperion looked around, feeling the chilly winter air through his suit. Just like the last 3 times. "Time?" He asked, for the third time.  
"9:13" Chat Noir replied, placing his baton on his back. Viperion nodded. Just the same as the previous 3 times. Except this time, he knew exactly what to do.  
"Ladybug, you stand over there, facing the Eiffel Tower. Chat, you do the same over there, but get ready to destroy the amokitised object with your cataclysm. I will stand behind and hit the lucky charm onto the sentimonster's face."

Ladybug summoned her lucky charm, and swiftly caught the blanket that fell into her arms. She followed Viperion's finger and got into position. Chat Noir and Viperion did the same. The sentimonster jumped off the Eiffel Tower and landed in the middle of the trio.  
Ladybug threw the blanket to Viperion with full force, very eager to be done with the sentimonster. This one was particularly odd, it didn't seem to be trying to get their miraculouses at all. No matter. That just made their job easier, especially with Viperion's help. The sentimonster was a pretty basic one. It had the ability to jump really, really high. Hawkmoth and Mayura must be getting pretty desperate to amokitise something with such a lame power.

Viperion caught the blanket and threw it into the sentimonster's face, blinding it temporarily. Ladybug slid down and grasped the amokitised object, not noticing the two shadowy figures watching them from above. She threw the object to Chat Noir, who destroyed it with his cataclysm. Ladybug purified the akuma and called out "Miraculous Ladybug", returning everything back to normal.

...

Hawkmoth tapped the top of his staff, and a white butterfly flew out, landing on his palm. He enclosed it between his hands, and watched as the butterfly turned dark. He released it, and it flew next to him, and into Mayura's brooch.  
"Mayura, I give you the power to create great pain to anyone you attack with your weapon. Along with this pain, all other negative emotions with be amplified. You know what to do with this power, Pain-Monger."  
"Yes, Hawkmoth, I do." Pain-Monger replied. The purple bubbles engulfed her for a moment, then faded away, revealing Pain-Monger's black outfit.

Pain-Monger quickly jumped of the roof and silently hid near the heroes, who were just about to leave. Pain-Monger drew out her weapon, a long gun, and aimed it at Chat Noir's back. When the time was right, she pulled the trigger, and watched with triumph and the barely-visible black beam hit Chat Noir's back, right where his heart was. She took the pained scream as her cue to run. She leapt onto the building Hawkmoth was on, and closed her eyes as he released her akuma. The white butterfly flew of into the sky, in the vague direction on the Agreste mansion. Hawkmoth and Mayura watched the startled heroes below, and patiently waiting for them to make their move.

...

"Viperion, thanks so much for your help with the akuma, but I really have no idea why my first Lucky Charm told me to get you and the snake miraculous, it was a pretty basic villain." Ladybug said, hugging herself to keep out the cold.  
"Well, the other 3 times we were not so lucky... but we managed to pull it off this time!" Viperion said, surprisingly happy, and surprisingly not appearing too cold.  
"Aren't you cold at all, Viperion?" Ladybug exclaimed.  
"I don't think I am as cold as you, so maybe a hug would warm you up?" Viperion asked, opening his arms. Ladybug snuggled into him, admiring how hot he was... no! Warm! How warm he was!

Chat Noir bit his lip. Something was off about this fight. No odd threats from the villain, not one attempt to get the miraculous. It seemed like the sentimonster was playing defensive the entire time... almost as if it was trying to lead them to this spot, that would be pretty clever for Hawkmoth. Chat Noir turned to tell Ladybug his theory, when he saw Ladybug and Viperion embraced in such a warm, heartfelt hug.

He felt his heart drop. Ladybug literally never hugged him, and here she was hugging this guy, just because it was cold. He was about to say something when he felt something strong, cold and dark hit his back, throwing him forward into the wall. Ladybug and Viperion jumped apart as they heard Chat Noir scream. They watched him hit the wall in front of them, and ran to check on him.

Chat Noir felt pain. There was just pain, pain, pain from everything. From the hit, from the wall, from his cheek rubbing against the icy, sharp ground. And his heart hurt so, so much more than before. He whimpered slightly as he curled up into a ball and tried to will the pain away. He heard Ladybug say something to Viperion, then strong arms pick him up gently, and stroke the back of his shivering head.

...

"Viperion, can you carry him?" Ladybug asked, only slightly panicking. Viperion nodded and crouched down to pick Chat Noir up. He noticed Chat was shivering, probably panicking a lot. He softly moved one of his hands to the back of Chat's head and stroked him slowly.  
Ladybug heard her earrings beep. Two spots left. "Okay, um... there" Ladybug pointed. "There is a road over there with two little alleys coming off it. Put Chat in one of them, and we will go to the one next to him. You can recharge and then give me the miraculous. Chat can recharge his miraculous in his alley."  
Viperion nodded, and landed in one of the alleys. He walked to the end of it and put Chat on the floor. Viperion then hopped into the alley beside it, now out of sight. Ladybug followed and watched him detransform. "Thanks so much, again, Luka. Your home is just down that road, then cross the bridge, right?"  
"Yeah, thanks for letting me defeat evil again!" Luka said, walking off into the wintry night.

Ladybug turned to the wall separating her and Chat Noir. "Chat?" She called. "I am just gonna quickly return the miraculous to my miracle box. Don't go anywhere - I will be right back."  
Ladybug heard a small "okay" come from Chat Noir, so she hurried up and zipped off towards the bakery.

...

"Claws in."  
Bright green light illuminated the corner he was in for a moment. Plagg appeared and took the cheese Adrien offered eagerly.  
Adrien breathed a sigh of relief as most of the pain ebbed away.  
"I wouldn't get too used to that feeling kid. That hit you took seemed pretty intense, and the magic is still inside you." Plagg mumbled through the cheese.  
"But it will just stay like this, right? Only a little bit of hurt that I'll be able to ignore, right?" Adrien whispered, hugging himself and Plagg tightly to keep out the the cold.  
"Well, kinda... it will be okay-ish while you are Adrien, but when you're Chat Noir its gonna hurt loads more, like what you were feeling when you were transformed, and its probably not going to go away because of the type of hit it was. Sorry, kid..." Plagg said, putting lots of emotion into the last two words.  
"Wha-" Adrien started, but Plagg placed his cheesy paws over Adrien's lips.  
"Transform, now!"  
Adrien didn't need to be told twice. He stood up.  
"Claws Out."  
Luckily, Chat Noir transformed before anyone could see his identity. Unluckily, the pain was back, and it seared through him, terrifying him so much he collapsed back onto the ground, into a fearful, pained, whimpering mess.

"Hello, Chat Noir."


	3. Chapter 3

Ladybug swooped into her bedroom after making sure she was not seen, heard, or followed.  
"Spots off."  
With the small flash of red light, Marinette made her way to where she hid the miracle box. She pressed on a spot and placed the snake miraculous back inside. Tikki helped herself to the cookies beside Marinette's bed.

"He was definitely faking it." Marinette said, shocking Tikki.  
"Faking it? Why do you think that?"  
"Oh please. You know what that stupid cat does for attention. And did you see his face when Viperion and I hugged? Pure jealousy. So he thought it would be smart to throw himself at the wall and pretend to be in pain. Do you know how ridiculous he is sometimes?"  
"So you didn't see him get hit?" Tikki asked quietly.  
"No, I didn't. And do you know why? Because he didn't get hit. This is all just a big joke to Chat. I am seriously going to talk to him about, well, everything! His dumb jokes are going too far now - he put us all in danger, including poor Luka, whose arms probably hurt now because that annoying cat did all of this!"  
Tikki was about to comfort Marinette, when Marinette remembered that she was supposed to go and check on Chat. She sighed.  
"Great. He's probably going to have me carry him this time." Marinette rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Spots On."

...

"Ladybug just left. He is completely vulnerable now, sir."  
"Perfect Mayura. Remember what to do. After I rip that arm out of its socket, tie up his legs and arms and that tail too, I have seen it move itself countless times. Cover his mouth too, we can't have him calling for Ladybug."  
Mayura nodded and got into position. She was briefly blinded by green light after he transformed, but that did not matter.

"Hello, Chat Noir." Hawkmoth said calmly, as he stood in front of him.  
Mayura ran forward and caught the cat just as he collapsed onto the floor. She wrapped one of her hands around his mouth, and pressed on his nose, so he would struggle to breathe. Chat Noir tried to gasp in air or yell, but his mouth wouldn't open. The pain was burning him from the inside, and he felt it slowly overwhelm him, causing him to go limp in Mayura's firm grip.  
Hawkmoth then took Chat Noir's right arm and smirked at the whimpering kitten. He yanked sharply on Chat Noir's arm at a painful angle and let the pop echo around the alley, followed by another whimper.

"Now, Chat Noir. You will not make another single sound, will you? Because, if you do, we will not hesitate to take Ladybug instead of you. Do you want that?" Hawkmoth said, using the voice he used on Adrien. Clearly it had the same effect, as Chat Noir lowered his head and shook it, just as Adrien did yesterday.  
Hawkmoth handed Mayura the plastic ropes, which she used to quickly tie around his ankles, knees and wrists. She made sure to tuck his tail into the ropes too, and put a thick glove of the hand with the ring. If he used his cataclysm, the glove would be destroyed and he would run out of time. Hawkmoth trusted Chat Noir was smart enough the realise this.

"All done, Hawkmoth." Mayura said, proud of her handiwork. He wouldn't be able to get out of those ropes without his cataclysm.  
Hawkmoth nodded and tied a final rope around Chat Noir's dislocated shoulder, making it extra tight. Chat winced at the pain and instinctively tried to crawl away, earning himself a punch to the stomach.

"Remember what we said? If you make another sound, or do anything out of line, we will do this to your precious Ladybug instead. Oh, just imagine how much she will hate you, knowing that she was put though so much pain just because her stupid pet couldn't follow instructions." Hawkmoth said, with mock pity in his voice. Chat Noir nodded, trying hard not to shiver from the cold and the pain.

"Good. Perfect, even. You will make such good bait for your lady." Hawkmoth snickered. He nodded to Mayura. She reached to the rope Hawkmoth had tied around Chat's dislocated shoulder, and pulled on it roughly. She laughing when Chat gasped in pain, fighting against himself to not make a sound.  
Mayura stood up and walked to the entrance of the alley, dragging Chat by the rope. She leapt to the top of the building, purposefully smashing the cat's body against the building.

Hawkmoth drew out his staff as he looked around, struggling to see clearly in the dark. But the little sound he had heard was undoubtedly Ladybug's yoyo.  
"Ladybug is here." He told Mayura.

She nodded. They had predicted that she would come back. Mayura pulled sharply on the rope, and Chat slid against the side of the building, to beside her foot. She then lifted her foot above Chat Noir's dislocated shoulder, and brought it down, forcefully pressing the heel of her boot into the bump that had formed. Chat curled up tight into a ball, black spots appearing in his blurred vision because of the pain, and the small tears that had started to form.

"I wouldn't even think about coming near, Ladybug, unless you want your little pet to get even more hurt!" Someone yelled, hurting Chat's ears.  
He heard a zip, followed by a grunt and sudden release from his shoulder. He tried to wriggle forward, away from Mayura and Hawkmoth, but his lack of vision meant that he did not see he was nearing the edge of the roof.

...

Ladybug made her way through the cold, squinting to see clearly. She could only imagine how poor Luka felt, having to go home in the cold, just because Chat thought it would be funny to pretend to be injured. Whatever. Chat Noir was probably going home now, laughing about the 'joke' he managed to pull off. Ladybug felt incredibly sorry for Plagg, who would have to constantly deal with such a joker. Chat Noir's civilian form was probably in constant trouble with his parents and at school, and probably the countless number of girlfriends or boyfriends he had. And he pretended to love her, too.  
'Oh Ladybug, I love you so much.' Ladybug scoffed. And then whenever she turned him down, he would act super heartbroken. As if! Then one second later he would be at it again with his terrible puns and jokes and flirting! Ladybug really wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but that would have to wait for a bit.

Ladybug landed on the roof of where Viperion left Chat Noir. Ladybug peered down into the alley where she saw Mayura and Hawkmoth. Mayura and Hawkmoth. Now Ladybug was worried. She looked around, trying to find Chat, then saw him on the ground, curled up in a ball as Mayura dragged him across the ground. Mayura then jumped onto the top of the building and then let Chat Noir hit the wall.

Sure, Chat had done some stupid stuff today, but no way did he deserve that! She shuffled forward, and cringed as her yoyo scratched against the roof. Apparently Hawkmoth had heard it too, as he looked in her direction, and the muttered something to Mayura. Mayura then nodded and pressed her her heel on Chat's shoulder. Ladybug watched him instinctively try to get away, then stop.

"I wouldn't even think about coming near, Ladybug, unless you want your little pet to get even more hurt!" Hawkmoth yelled. Ladybug could see on his face that Chat Noir was in a lot of pain, but from what? Big deal, his shoulder's getting a bit squished, anyone could handle that. Chat must be a very good actor, Ladybug decided.

Once again, Chat Noir had literally allowed the villain to take control of him. And once again, Ladybug had to save him.  
She threw her yoyo at Mayura, and watched her fall back. Chat Noir was free now! What was he doing just lying there? Sure, he had some ropes on him, but he could still jump off the roof.  
He shuffled forward. Shuffled. The superhero shuffled forward.  
"Seriously, Chat, get up or your going to fall!" Ladybug yelled at him as he neared the edge of the roof.

...

Chat Noir was terrified. He had no idea what he was doing. He had been wriggling forward when some loud voice yelled. He felt the fake ears press to his head as the loud sound hurt his sensitive ears. He couldn't make out all the words, but he heard "Chat", "up", and "fall". That had to be Hawkmoth. Hawkmoth was probably telling Mayura to pick him up and throw him off the roof! No! Chat didn't want to fall off the roof! Maybe if he managed to get further away, they wouldn't be able to see him? Yes, that would work. Chat tried to get further away, wriggling helplessly against the ropes. He felt his cheek rub against the roof as he felt something warm touch him. He panicked and flipped himself over onto his back. It was just his bad luck that there wasn't enough space on the roof to do so.

Before he knew it, his tied up body was falling quite fast towards the roads. Roads that would surely soon have cat splattered across it. Chat shut his eyes tight and tensed himself up as he braced for the impact, but it was much softer than he had imagined.


	4. Chapter 4

Ladybug swung below the roof on her yoyo, catching Chat Noir in her free arm. He was all tensed up and icy to touch, but Ladybug forced herself to keep holding him. She glanced back to the roof Hawkmoth and Mayura had been on, but they had disappeared now.

Once she had found a wide enough roof that Chat wouldn't roll off, she landed. She glanced left, at the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Ladybug dropped Chat as roughly as she could, the anger within her still evident. Chat still hadn't opened his eyes, but Ladybug knew he was awake by the way he was curling up.

"Chat, just get up, they are gone now." Chat heard Ladybug say sharply. He flinched, not only of how loud her voice was, but also how angry she sounded.

She was angry at him, Chat was sure. He always did something wrong, whether it was his puns or his flirting or his inability to be a hero. Everyone knew it. The civilians knew it. All the other heroes knew it. Ladybug knew it. Even Chat knew it. So what was he doing, just lying there? He should be able to save Paris, and yet here he was unable to save himself.

Here he was not even thanking Ladybug for saving him, or even apologising for creating the whole problem.

He should apologise right now. He tried to get up, but he was still tied up. Well, he should still apologise.

"L-l-ladybug?" Chat didn't even realise he was shaking. "I-I am really s-s-sorry, f-for everythin-n-ng."

  
"You should be Chat, you really should be. Making Viperion carry you after you faked being attacked. Dragging me out here to check on some non-existent injury you have. You should seriously be ashamed of yourself."

  
"I did-idn't fake it. W-what injury?" Chat asked.

  
"Please don't play dumb. I know you faked that attack after we defeated the sentimonster. Look, this isn't even a real bump on your shoulder. You probably just stuffed tissue in your suit to make it look like you were injured or something. Look." Ladybug said, gesturing and the large swollen bump on Chat's right shoulder.

She brought her foot above it and stomped down, expecting a small wince from Chat, not a scream.

...

"Look." Chat heard Ladybug say, before she stomped down on his dislocated shoulder. Chat screamed as his shoulder ached, nudging her foot with his head, trying to get it off.

Ladybug was shocked as Chat writhed in pain beneath her foot. She removed her foot swiftly and got on her knees beside Chat, trying to see what damage had been done. She gingerly poked the bump, seeing him shudder and gasp.

Then she realised that she had been wrong the entire time. Chat had been hit into the wall after they defeated the sentimonster, and right now, he was injured, a lot.

"Oh my gosh Chat, I am so sorry, I thought that you were just playing some stupid joke. I didn't realise you were actually hurt!" Ladybug exclaimed, feeling extremely guilty. But Chat, who still loved her with every beat of his heart, forgave her instantly.

  
"I-it's fine L-ladybug. Really. But c-can you..." Chat gasped, pulling at the ropes that were still restricting his blood flow. Ladybug nodded, smiling slightly at how easily he forgave her. She shimmied down to his ankles and quickly undid the knot. She moved up and did the same with his knees.

She looked at his hands, which were tied behind his back. She gently lifted his back, turning him over so his back was facing her. She pulled on the knots, trying to be as quick as possible. It came off, and Chat breathed a sigh of relief, and then regretted it. As the blood made its way around his body, the pain came back and made him curl up into a ball again.

Ladybug was about to say something when she noticed another rope, wrapped thickly around his right shoulder. She repositioned herself so that she was facing the knot, which appeared to be much tighter than all the other knots she'd undone.

She poked it with a finger and frowned as Chat whimpered and tensed. His breathing had become rougher since she undid the knots. Even if this hurt Chat, she had to undo the knot on his shoulder.

  
"Chat, do you know what happened to this shoulder?" Ladybug asked softly, lifting his right arm.

  
"Hawkmoth pulled on it hard, and then it popped."

  
It popped. Ladybug assumed that this meant it was dislocated. This would be hard to deal with. Ladybug bit her lip, deciding if she would tell Chat how much this was going to hurt him. She should, right? To allow him to prepare himself.

  
"Chat? I am going to have to undo this knot, then pop your shoulder back in. And it is going to hurt, a lot. So, just tell me when you are ready." Ladybug said.

  
"No, no, I don't want to." Chat said. He could barely manage what he was already feeling, how was he supposed to handle more? He tried to stand up, but the pain blinded him again and he collapsed onto his dislocated shoulder. He grunted and tried to get back up, when Ladybug stopped him.

  
"I am sorry Chat, but I have to do this, or it'll get worse and hurt even more. Do you want that?"

  
Chat Noir shook his head and looked away. Everything just hurt so, so much. A tear fell out of his eyes, followed by a few more. Ladybug wiped them away gently, and wrapped her arms around Chat, embracing him, then feeling him hug her back with his left arm.

After a few moments, she heard a rumble echo quietly from his chest, a content purr that had a shadow of fear.

Ladybug came up with an idea. She gently sat down and drew Chat onto her lap sideways, so that his left arm faced her. Chat sniffed and nuzzled his head into the crook in Ladybug's neck. With one hand, she stroked Chat's back, soothing him. With the other hand, she reached around him and pulled a bit on the knot. Chat tensed beneath her and whimpered, closing his eyes.

Ladybug reached with her other hand to the knot. She slowly undid it, pausing whenever he moved or winced. After a few minutes, the knot was almost done, there was just one loop around the shoulder.

  
"Chat, I'm going to need to to lift your arm to get rid on the final loop. Can you take a deep breath for me?" Ladybug whispered, aware his ears were very sensitive to sound. She felt him nod, and then he shakily breathed in. She stroked his back and lifted his arm, undoing the final loop. As the rope dropped, Chat gasped, and nuzzled Ladybug's neck as the full force of the pain returned. She reached for Chat's hand and pulled the glove off. She felt upwards until she got to his shoulder, which was still dislocated.

  
"I have to pop this back into the socket. Can you tell me when you are ready, Chat?"

  
Ladybug felt Chat nuzzle further into her neck, and then nod slowly. Ladybug reached for his right arm with both hands on his arm just beneath his shoulder. She whispered a quick countdown into Chat's ear, and then popped it back into place.

She felt Chat shaking within her arms, and gently stroked his back until he calmed down.

  
"I am going to move your arm around a bit, to make sure it is okay. Can you loosen it a bit, kitten?"

Ladybug really had no idea where the nickname came from, but it seemed right for the moment. Chat nodded, and Ladybug slowly moved his arm around, checking it was back to normal. She nodded when it could do everything it could do before.

  
"Make sure you keep exercising it, Chat. And try to keep it in a sling when you can, but I get you can't in public places when Hawkmoth and Mayura might be looking for people in slings... You know that hit you took, earlier? What happened after?" Ladybug asked.

  
"Everything started hurting, but Plagg said it won't hurt as much when I'm Ad- a civilian. He also said that its not going to stop, something to do with the type of magic it was, or something like that..." Chat yawned.

  
"Do you want to go home to sleep... or stay here?"

  
Chat chuckled. "I think you know the answer to that, M'lady."

  
"Well, it looks like you're all better, if you ignore that magic hit thing you took earlier."

Ladybug said quickly, getting up even quicker. Chat flinched as he tried to stand up, leaning on the chimney beside him for support. He took a deep breath and pushed off, stumbling a bit as the pain flashed through him. Ladybug caught him and sat back down, him beside her.

  
"Wha- -you doing?" Chat asked, yawning again halfway through the question.

  
"I really doubt you will manage getting home, Chat. What time are you supposed to be up tomorrow?"

  
Chat thought for a moment. Tomorrow was a Tuesday, so he had school.  
"Around 6."

  
"Same here. How about I wake you up around that time, and you sleep here?"

  
"Woah, really?" Chat eyes lit up as he got onto his knees in excitement, then immediately regretted it when the pain made him collapse onto Ladybug.

  
"Yes. Really. One time offer Chat, yes or no?"

  
"Yes, yes yes yes! Thank you Ladybug!" Chat cried, hugging Ladybug, briefly able to ignore the pain.

  
"I am already beginning to regret this..." Ladybug muttered to herself, frowning.  
Chat Noir's smile faltered, but it was quickly replaced by a photoshoot smile. Ladybug moved up and lay down, pushing eager cat further away.  
"Please don't make me regret this more, Chat. Go to sleep, it might help with the pain."

  
Chat nodded and lay closer to Ladybug. He was practically lying on top of her when he started to feel safe...

  
Chat closed his eyes, purring and resting his head on Ladybug's chest, falling asleep as he listened to her heart beat.


	5. Chapter 5

Ladybug had been looking up at the stars for over two hours now. Thinking. Thinking about how much she had doubted Chat, and thinking about how she still doubted him, a tiny bit. She remembered how he had stumbled when he tried to stand up, and how eager he was to spend the night with her. Now, when she looked down at the kitten softly purring as he slept, most of her doubts about him disappeared. But not all of them.

So Ladybug had come up with a plan. A few hours back, when she had been carrying him to safety when he was still tied up, she had brought him to a roof just across the street from her parents' bakery. This meant that she could go to her room and sleep, knowing Chat Noir was still in her view. That way, she could still wake him up on time, but also watch him when he thought he was alone. Then, she would know whether he was faking the pain or not. She checked the the time. 1:34. She had lots of time to sleep in her actual bed tonight.

Ladybug looked back down to the sleeping kitten, whose head lay on her chest, feeling a pang of guilt. She tucked her fingers beneath his head and pushed him away from her, then lay him completely on the roof. She stood up and threw her yoyo to the bakery, then swung across the quiet street and landed on her balcony. Sure no one was watching, she released her transformation and went into her room, shivering at the sudden cold. Marinette set her alarm half an hour earlier than usual, and plopped onto her bed, falling asleep straight away.

...

Chat Noir's dreams turned dark as he suddenly felt unsafe. As the nightmares took over Chat's mind, he started moving. At first it was barely noticeable, just a little twitch here and there. Then it became more, like rolling over or curling tighter. And then he started shaking, silently thrashing against the monsters of his own mind.

Chat woke up hot and cold, sweaty and shivering, numb and in pain. His first instinct was to look around to Ladybug, to see if she was alright. And yet, she wasn't there. Of course she wasn't. Why would she want to spend any extra time with him, after he completely messed up yesterday?

Chat checked his baton to see the time. 3:45, Tuesday morning. He might as well head back home. He placed his hands on the roof and tried really hard to stand up. He managed to do so, leaning against the wall for support, as he tried to block out the pain and hurt he felt for being left alone. He picked up his baton and pressed the button, flying forward through the air for a moment until he hit the next roof. Clearly, he wasn't as quiet as before, as the person in the room below gave a sharp yell that hurt his ears.

Chat Noir felt guilt growing in his mind - once again he had messed up. He should apologise, that would be right. He crawled off the roof and fell onto a balcony. He was about to bring himself up again when ta trapdoor opened suddenly, and Marinette's confused face peered out.

...

Gabriel brought his fists down to the table.  
"What should we do next?" He asked Nathalie.

"We could retry capturing Chat Noir. If I make a powerful enough sentimonster, I may be able to give it the power to knock him out instantly."

Gabriel nodded along.

"This would work. I can akumatise someone too, to stop Ladybug reversing everything too soon... and no, Nathalie, I will not akumatize you, I will need you by my side."

"Where will we put Chat Noir once we have him? We could bring him into the hidden parts of the mansion, but he may work out our identities, or put Adrien in danger." Nathalie said.

"We should bring him here, but perhaps we can put him in the observation room, and send Adrien off somewhere..."

"Send him off somewhere? Like to a boarding school? They will need some notice first, sir."

"No, not boarding school. Perhaps we can get him to sleep at one of his friends' places. Maybe Miss Rossi will be able to house him for a while. You could tell Adrien I am on a business trip somewhere, and need you and his bodyguard's assistance."

Nathalie nodded.

"I will ask Adrien once he wakes to ask one of his friends from school to let his stay there for a while. How long do you think we need?"

"Probably a while, if we mean to break Chat Noir, and lure in Ladybug. Do not tell Adrien how long, Nathalie. Just say 'a while'." Gabriel said, opening a map of Paris on his computer.

"His baton has a tracking feature. We shouldn't bring it anywhere near here. On the baton, we will type a message to Ladybug. Remember to bring another thick glove to stop him using his cataclysm." He continued.

Nathalie nodded.

"We will hold him in the observation room I use as Hawkmoth. Adrien will be perfectly safe at one of his friends' homes." Gabriel finished, opening the secret elevator ready for the next day.

...

"Chat Noir? What are you doing here?" Marinette asked, standing up.

"I woke you up, so I wanted to apologize. I'm really sorry, Marinette." Chat Noir said, feeling ashamed as he tried to pull himself up using the railing.

"It's okay, really. But... why did you fall? Are you hurt?" Marinette asked, just out of curiosity. She helped him onto his feet and noted how he was leaning on the railing as if his life depended on it.

"I'm just getting a bit used to the hit I took earlier... but I'm paw-fectly fine, thanks."  
Marinette chuckled a bit at his pun. She admired how he was still able to joke around, while being out in such a chilly night. She shivered, and Chat Noir saw.

"Hey, do you want to go back inside? It's pretty cold and late." He said, glancing to the trapdoor.

"Don't you mean early?" Marinette joked.

Chat Noir grinned.  
"You didn't answer the question though. And you look like you're shivering too." He pointed out.

"Oh come on, Chat Noir! You're clearly shivering way more than me. How would you like a hug?" Marinette said, opening her arms the way Viperion had the other day.  
Chat fell into her arms, flinching slightly at the pulsing ache he felt in his body. Marinette noticed but said nothing. They both cuddled, trying to absorb as much warmth as possible from the other. Both were quite content in each other's arms, but of course something would fly past them loudly, ruining the moment, scaring them, and making them jump apart.

"Hey, its a ladybug..." Chat Noir said, his gaze softeneing as he looked towards the ladybug flying away from him. He frowned a little as it reminded him of how Ladybug had left him earlier.

"Do you love her?" Marinette blurted out before she could stop herself. She saw him softly nod.

"It doesn't matter though, she doesn't feel the same." He said quietly, not meeting her gaze. Marinette bit her lip, trying to think about how she could comfort him without giving him false hope or risking her identity.

"It's fine though, you don't need to worry about me, Princess, I am a su-paw-hero after all!" Chat Noir said, a photoshoot smile plastered on him face.

"You don't always need to pretend to be strong, sometimes it is easier to just let go of emotions." Marinette said, smiling softly. "You are a person too, just like the rest of us."

"Most people don't actually realise that. They just think that we are completely invulnerable to everything, and that just makes it hurt even more when you have to lock everything up. Then all you can think about is how the people you are trying to help don't actually need you... or want you." Chat Noir said, thinking of his life as both Adrien and Chat Noir.

"But you're a superhero, with all these awesome powers, surely everyone loves you!" Marinette said encouragingly, the way Tikki often speaks to her. Clearly it did not have the same effect, as Chat Noir's cat ears drooped a little and his frown deepened.

"No, they love Ladybug, and she deserves every bit of their love. That's probably why she never believes me when I tell her how I feel about her. I'm just the guy who can destroy stuff and mess stuff up. Ladybug is the hero, not me. I always get captured, I always get hit. Ladybug never does because she's smart enough to move out of the way. All I want, is to be good enough to stand next to someone as amazing as her."

"You are good enough, really! Ladybug needs you just as much as you need her! You are a team Chat Noir! You shouldn't doubt that, ever!" Marinette replied, wrapping her arms around him, as if to prove her point. Chat Noir hugged her back, fighting through the pain of his body and mind.

"Thank you." He whispered into her ear. Even though it was a whisper, it was filled with so many levels of gratitude and emotion, Marinette couldn't help but hug him tighter. He whined involuntarily as the pain built up slightly, so Marinette gently pulled away.

"Sorry, did I hurt you?" She asked, cheching him for injuries.

"No, no! It wasn't you, don't worry. It was the attack I took earlier today, but I think it's getting a bit better." He said, eyes full of genuine optimism.

"Okay then... that's good." Marinette said.

"Yeah, thanks. Oh meow, look at the time... it's going to be time for me as a civilian to wake up soon, I should probably get going, sorry. But thanks so much, for everything!" Chat said enthusiastically, leaping onto the roof. "See you, Marinette."

"You too, Chat Noir."  
Then Chat Noir leapt of into the night, leaving Marinette alone on the balcony. She slipped back inside her room, shutting the trapdoor behind her.

She glanced at Tikki.  
"I think he is doing quite well with the pain and everything, Tikki." Marinette said, crawling under the covers of her bed.

"Yes, he's managing it very well." Tikki said, watching her owner yawn and fall alseep beside a board of Adrien pictures, which she had forgotten to hide. Tikki chuckled, and pushed it quietly beneath the bed and out of sight. She lay down on the pillow beside Marinette, and closed her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

Adrien stretched and yawned, looking down to the windows, where Plagg was eating cheese.

"Good morning, Plagg."

"Goof murnin, Adien." Plagg said, his mouth full.

Adrien snickered and went into his bathroom to have a shower and get dressed.

...

Nathalie walked up the stairs, her shoes against the marble being the only sound she heard. She knocked on Adrien's door, hearing shuffling and then a quick reply of "You can come in, Nathalie."

"Good morning, Adrien. Tomorrow, your father has a major fashion meeting to attend to. It will last a number of weeks, and both your bodyguard and I will accompany him. This means that no one will be home to look after you. Your father has decided to allow you to stay at one of your friend's places, if he approves of your choice. If you do not tell me who you are going to be staying with, and where, by noon today, you will be coming with us to the fashion meeting. Am I understood?" Nathalie asked Adrien.

He nodded.

"Good morning, Nathalie. If I do not find someone to stay with, I will come with you to the fashion meeting." He repeated.

She nodded, and left him alone once more.

...

Adrien walked into the class, easing his right shoulder past the door. The first thing he saw was Marinette, almost falling asleep at her desk. Because of him. A pang of guilt shot through him. Because he was dumb enough to wake her up last night, now she was almost delirious at school.

"Hi Adrien..." she said to him, putting on a dreamy smile. Adrien smiled and waved back, sitting down in front of her. He looked around the class, wondering who would be able to take another into their home for a while.

"Say, Nino, do you mind, if I stay at your place for a while? My father is going away for a bit and has let me stay with someone."

"I would, dude, I really would, but I'm staying at Alya's place until my brother gets his vomit out of my room. Sorry, dude."

"It's fine, but that whole vomit thing is not fine..."

Alya had been listening very closely to the conversation.  
"Come on, girl, this is your chance! Tell Adrien you can have him for a while!" She whispered eagerly.

"What do you mean tell Adrien I can have him for a while?" Marinette almost yelled the last part, out of both shock and confusion.

"Really, Marinette? You can? Wow, thanks so much!" Adrien said, getting out his phone to tell Nathalie.

"Wait, let me just ask my parents first... " Marinette said, getting to grips with the situation. Her parents, her sweet parent, of course let Adrien stay with them for a while.

"Nathalie said Father likes you, Marinette, so I'm allowed to stay with you! I really can't thank you enough, Marinette!" Adrien's cheeks were hurting now from smiling so much.

"She says I stay at your house from today onwards, is that alright?" Adrien asked, biting his lip.

Alya nodded on behalf of Marinette, who was now frozen in place.  
"Quiet down, now, class," Miss Bustier said from the front of the room. "Please open your books to the next page and start reading."

...

"See you soon, Marinette and Adrien!" Alya called, emphasising their names.

Marinette and Adrien were across the road, heading into the bakery.  
Adrien was greeted by a warm hug from Marinette's father, and then a other from her mother. Marinette lead Adrien upstairs.

"Do you want to sleep here," she asked, gesturing to the sofa, " or in my room with me- near me, not next to me!"

"I don't really mind, Marinette, whatever you're comfortable with."

Marinette smiled, putting her bag on the table. She was going to struggle focusing on her work today.

...

As the evening approached, Marinette helped Adrien make a bed on the sofa. Marinette reached for her phone to check the time, then realised it wasn't there.

"Adrien, have you seen my phone?"

"The last time I saw it, we were at school... maybe you left it there?"

Marinette nodded, running off down the stairs, about to run to school. Even if they didn't let Marinette in, Ladybug was able to go anywhere.  
She left the bakery and transformed where no one could see her.  
Ladybug zipped across the road and landed in the middle of the school. She ran silently to the classroom, and looked for her phone. Being the genius she was, she found it beneath her seat. She picked it up and ran off, not wanting to get caught.

As she left the school, the sky turned colours of orange and pink. Ladybug smiled, wishing she could admire the view for longer. But she had to get back before Adrien got worried. She threw her yoyo at her balcony and flew through the air, landing with precision. But, she stumbled when she saw Adrien's face peering out of the trapdoor by her feet.

"Sorry, did I scare you? I was just passing over the building..." she said trying to make an excuse so she could slip away.

"No, no don't worry. So, uh, what's it like being the super hero of Paris?" Adrien said, climbing outside.

"Cool, I guess. But it's also pretty frightening to know that the entire city's fate rests on your shoulders, make one mistake and you've lost... but I'm sure we won't lose, so you don't need to worry." Ladybug said. "Although, I have noticed a pattern." She sat on the railing as Adrien stood beside her, leaning on the post.

"Pattern?" Adrien asked, looking up at her.

"Yes. Every once in a while, Hawkmoth and Mayura create really powerful akumas or sentimonsters, or come up with plans that actually almost work. After these powerful villains, the next akumas and sentimonsters slowly seem to deteriorate in ability and skill. The villains recently have been pretty lame, so I can just, sort of feel, that something is going to happen, really really soon."

Adrien thought for a moment. What happened yesterday when he was Chat Noir was quite different, Hawkmoth and Mayura even came out of hiding.

"I heard some screaming last night, it sounded like Chat Noir... maybe that was the thing you were expecting?" The words toppled out of hid mouth before he could stop them.

"I was actually there with him. There was this whole little fight thing with Hawkmoth and Mayura, when we got away, I felt like they intended for us to get away. They may try and target Chat Noir, since he's is still dealing with what happened."

Adrien nodded, biting his lip.

"That would be smart." He said quietly, looking away.

"So basically, I feel like last night was the start of something bigger. But, you don't need to worry, at all! The heroes of Paris have everything under controll!" Ladybug said enthusuastically, standing up fully on the railing, balancing well.

"Great! Even though I already knew that, you heroes always get the job done."

"Yep, but we are still trying to work out who Hawkmoth and Mayura are, as long as they are still out there and being villain-y, the job isn't done yet. Anyway... I don't want to keep you away from... whatever you were doing. Wait, you don't live here..."

"Yeah, my father is letting me stay with a friend, I hope I'm not a burden for her."

"I'm sure you won't be, Adrien. Hey, who was that?" Ladybug asked, seeing a blur of colour go past her bedroom window. Adrien turned around, peering into the trapdoor, hoping Plagg wasn't in sight.

"I don't know... " Adrien said, when he didn't see anyone in the room. "It wasn't Marinette, she hasn't come back from school yet. Her parents are still downstairs. Let me see..."

"Okay," Ladybug said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously, trying to see into the window. "I have got to be somewhere else right now, so I better go. See you around, Adrien."

"You too, Ladybug."

Ladybug threw her yoyo to the next building and zipped away, leaving Adrien alone to look around and think about what she had said earlier. Start of something bigger? That would make sense, but Adrien didn't want to believe it. He looked up at the sky, where the stars were starting to appear.

"Hey Adrien, are you coming inside?" Marinette asked crawling out of the trapdoor to stand next to him. She seemed out of breath, probably because she had run to and from the school.

"Um, yeah, but can we just stay out here for a bit?"

"Of course! Were you watching the sunset?"

Adrien nodded, his lips pressed together, still suspicious of what Ladybug had seen in Marinette's room.

"Were you in your room a few minutes ago?"

"Was I in my room? Yes. A few minutes ago? No. Why? Was someone else in there?"

"I saw something, but I think it was just the light reflecting off the window or something..."

"Okay then." Marinette said, as they looked up as the stars shining down at them.

Behind, the kwamis watched them.   
"They are so oblivious! How do they not just see it?" Plagg said.

"Well, how do you not see that there are more foods than just cheese in the world?"

"Cheese and humans are two very different things, Sugarcube!"

"Yes, they are. But I'm sure Ladybug and Chat Noir will get there in the end." Tikki said, glancing at Marinette and Adrien.


	7. Chapter 7

"Miss Rossi has agreed to look out for Adrien while we are... busy. She says she will be able to keep a close eye on him, so he is in good hands."

Gabriel nodded.

"Then we are ready to put the next part of the plan in place." He said.

...

Marinette helped Adrien take his things from the car. The Gorilla had brought Adrien's stuff over, and it was a bit more stuff than they had expected, but Marinette's parents had not been put off one bit. Nor were they put off by Lila, who apparently would be staying with them too. Marinette and Adrien were put off, but they didn't want to say anything, as they thought it would be rude, especially in front of Sabine and Tom.

"Hello, sweetie!" Sabine had said. "You are staying too? Marinette, how many people did you invite?"

"Just two, mama." Marinette replied, keeping her cool, knowing that she had not invited Lila.

"Okay, since Adrien is sleeping on the sofa, you can stay in Marinette's room with her! Would that be good, Lila?"

"Mama!"

Lila nodded

"It is fine, Marinette. You two are already such great friends!" Sabine said, looking at Lila and Marinette.

"You two girls can get Lila's bed ready. I will show Adrien how to make Marinette's favourite dessert. He might be making it a lot in the future!" Tom said, winking at Marinette.

"Papa!" She called as she ran up to her bedroom, followed by Lila.

  
When the girls were alone in Marinette's bedroom, a quiet argument started.

"What are you really here for, Lila?"

Lila lay her sleeping bed down on the floor.

"I just have a little job, that's all." She said, not looking at Marinette.

"Which is?"

"To protect Adrien from his fans. They often get quite obsessed with him, they may even invite him to their homes..." Lila said, tossing a sly glance at Marinette as she flattened out the blanket.

"As if you never did." Marinette muttered, climbing up the ladder to sit on her bed. Lila had taken out her phone and looked busy texting people. Marinette looked around the room, making sure everything that should be hidden was hidden. She lay her head back, and closed her eyes, hoping Lila would not cause more trouble.

...

At midnight, Marinette's phone buzzed - an akuma alert. She peered down at Lila, who appeared to be in a deep sleep. Just to be sure, Marinette nudged Lila's arm with her foot. The girl didn't even notice, clearly sleeping. 

Marinette climbed up the ladder and stood up on the balcony, shutting trapdoor. She looked around, seeing no one was looking, and transformed. If she had looked a bit more, she would have seen a flash of green light come out of the living room window, or the black cat that came outside moments later.

Ladybug swung on her yoyo towards the Louvre, where the akuma had last been seen.

...

Chat Noir arrived at the Louvre at the same time as Ladybug.

"How are you doing, kitten?"

"A lot better than last time, M'lady!" He said, showing off how he could stand by himself now.

"That's good, because we have a supervillain to fight." Ladybug said, pulling the yoyo of her waist and looking at the top of the Louvre, where an akuma and sentimonster stood.

"I am Knock-Out, and will punish everyone who doubted my boxing skills!" Knock-Out yelled, jumping down to the same level as the heroes.

Ladybug could see that the akuma had the body of a strong boxer, and on his hands were two extremely big gloves that lit up in the night, illuminating the area.   
Beside him, a sleek figure jumped down, with the body shape of a female. On her left wrist, a pink bracelet lay, concealing an amok. She announce herself as Shadow, and got into a fighting stance.

Knock-Out and Shadow looked straight forward for a moment, blue and purple masks hovering above their faces as they communicated with Hawkmoth and Mayura.

"Yes, Hawkmoth. Yes, Mayura." They said in unison. They stalked forward, hidden by darkness. Shadow's black suit made it harder for Ladybug to track her, but Chat Noir could easily see her.

Shadow slid behind Ladybug and grasped onto her body, surprising Ladybug with her strength. As Ladybug tried to wriggle out of her grip, Knock-Out ran towards her at full speed and prepared to give her a devastating punch. Chat Noir stuck his baton out and watched as Knock-Out fell forward. Ladybug elbowed Shadow behind her, managing to get free. She bent down to break his gloves, when he jumped up and started throwing punches at Ladybug. She swerved and dodged each one, then slid between his legs, and pushed his back, trying to push him over. He turned around and jumped towards Chat Noir.

Shadow ran forward towards Chat Noir. He jumped over her and slid beneath a punch from Knock-Out. Ladybug threw her her yoyo around Shadow and pulled her forward. Shadow landed a kick in Ladybug's stomach, and watched as she doubled over.

Chat Noir pounced onto Knock-Out's head, then jumped off and kicked Knock-Out forward. Knock-Out stumbled forward, almost falling on top of Ladybug. She wriggled out of the way just in time, and grabbed Shadow, restraining her completely. Chat Noir grasped her left arm and was about to destroy the bracelet, when Knock-Out punched him from behind. He felt his breath get knocked out of him as he collapsed onto the floor, unable to move. He saw his vision go blurry as black spots took over his sight. His eyes closed and he fell unconscious. So that was why the akuma was called Knock-Out...

Ladybug looked down, shocked, at Chat Noir's limp body. She bent down to pick up Chat Noir, when Shadow pulled his body away from her. She picked him up and turned, running away with imaginable speed. She sped through the streets, holding the unconscious hero close.

...

Shadow climbed into the Agreste mansion through the open window, dumping the cat on the floor in front of Hawkmoth and Mayura. She then picked up Chat Noir's baton and left to fight Ladybug. It was a fight the sentimonster would lose, but that was still part of the plan.

The sentimonster hopped from building to building towards the Louvre. When she arrived, she opened the baton, clicking on the messaging feature. She typed the words Mayura told her, closed the baton and threw it to Ladybug, who had defeated Knock-Out now.

Ladybug looked up and saw the figure, and threw her yoyo at Shadow's face. As an instinct, she brought up her hands to protect herself, so the yoyo hit the bracelet on her wrist instead. A blue feather came out of the crack, and Ladybug purified it quickly.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug called, throwing the lucky charm she had gotten earlier into the air. Ladybugs swarmed the area, reversing the damage done. Ladybug looked around, hoping to see Chat Noir appear in front of her, but he did not.

Ladybug picked up the baton on the floor and opened it, seeing a message typed on it, addressed to her.

  
"Hello, Ladybug. I am Hawkmoth. If you were wondering where your pet was, look no further, I have him! Mayura is currently preparing him for the first day of his new life, so I hope you understand that she will not be able to greet you. Nor will your pet, as you will only get to see him at a price. You know what this price is. You will also need to find us first, before offering a trade or deal. Perhaps you may have been able to follow his screams to find us, but we put him in a soundproof room, so I doubt it. Good luck, Ladybug, although I believe your pet will need it more."

  
Then the message ended, just like that.

  
His screams. They were probably going to torture him. That poor kitten.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are 3 sections to this chapter. The first and last sections feature graphic depictions of torture, involving drowning and funny bone stuff. 
> 
> The second section is torture-free, unless you call talking to Lila torture. The sections are separated by 3 dots.
> 
> If you don't want to risk it, you can skip to the end, where I put a brief summary of what happens, minus the torture stuff.

Chat Noir's eyes opened as red ladybugs brushed over his body. He grinned, realising the ladybugs had taken all of the pain away. He looked around. It looked like he was in a very dark room, with a large circular window in front of him, letting the moonlight stream in.

"You won't be that happy for long, kitten."

Chat Noir recognised the voice as Hawkmoth. The voice came from his left. 

Chat stood up, noticing how he was restrained. His hands were cuffed and chained to the floor as they had been when Copy Cat had captured him. On his right hand, there was a thick glove that was connected to the cuff, so he wouldn't be able to take it off, or activate his cataclysm.

"Ha! You think this will be able to restrain me?" Chat Noir asked, holding the thick chains up.

"It is not supposed to restrain you, just hold you for a while as we break you. Then you won't need the chains, but the collar stays on. Take it as a sign that you now belong to us." Mayura said, from his right.

Collar? Chat Noir felt around his neck, feeling a leather collar around his neck.

"Oh, didn't you notice it? Perhaps we need to make it a bit tighter." Hawkmoth said, stepping closer. 

Hawkmoth took his staff and swiped it through the darkness towards Chat Noir's legs. His knees buckled and he fell over. Hawkmoth grabbed Chat Noir's legs and flipped him over, so he now lay on his stomach. Chat Noir pawed at the ground, trying to pick himself up, but Mayura pushed his head into the ground hard, giving Hawkmoth full access to the collar. Hawkmoth placed one knee in the middle of Chat Noir's chest and leaned on it. He then reached forward and tightened the collar so much that Chat Noir was gasping for air.

"Struggling to breathe, are we?" Hawkmoth smirked, standing up. "I hope you enjoy all the fun activities we have set up for you, I know I will."

"It doesn't matter what you do, you won't be getting any information out of me at all, mothman." Chat Noir said, pressing his lips together as if it would prove his point.

"Information?" Mayura laughed. She bent down and spoke directly into his ear loudly "Oh, we are going to get lots of information out of you. But, we are also doing this for fun." She stood up to get something from across the room

"You have defied us for far too long, kitten. It's time you were punished." Hawkmoth said. "Do you know what is so good about you being transformed?"

"Yeah, I can get out of here whenever I wa-"

Hawkmoth slapped him, leaving Chat Noir's cheek with a burning red hand print.

"No. When you are transformed, you regenerate very, very quickly. This means that we can push you to the brink of death, constantly, and you will recover. And we will. Soon, you will know what it means to be knocking on death's door."

"Sure thing, Mothman. Now if you just direct your eyes to the giant window I'm about to break, that'll be great." Chat Noir said, pulling on the chains. Hawkmoth pushed a button and the chains flew into the ground, pulling Chat Noir with them. When all the chains were out of sight, Chat Noir was completely unable to move his hands and lying on his stomach, so couldn't stand up either.

"You need to be disciplined, kitten. I hope this will do the trick." Hawkmoth said, gesturing to something Mayura was bringing forward. She knelt down and revealed two bulky straps and a long piece of fabric. Hawkmoth stood on Chat Noir's back and pulled on his hair sharply, bringing the boy's face up. Hawkmoth took his jaw and yanked it open, pulling out his tongue. He took the long piece of fabric and wrapped it around Chat Noir's tongue in dozens of layers. Now, the tongue looked incredibly fat, with a two inch diametre. Hawkmoth stuffed the tongue and fabric into Chat Noir's mouth and sealed his lips shut with gorilla tape, effectively gagging him.

"That fabric in your mouth is going to become your best friend over the next few days. It has been soaked in lots of drugs, I am sure you will learn what the drugs do to you very soon. They are going to help us tame you, isn't that good?" Hawkmoth said, feigning optimism. Chat Noir tried to say 'no', but all that came out was a weak moan, because of the gag, and a sudden wave of drowsiness that passed over him.

Mayura felt around Chat Noir's elbow, trying to find the funny bone. She pressed her finger all around the joint, looking for Chat Noir's reaction. She saw his suddenly attempt to retract his arm when she hit the sensitive nerve, and wrapped one of the bulky straps tightly around the joint, and did the same with the other.

"If you were wondering, those straps are very sensitive to movement. They will be able to feel when you inhale, exhale, swallow, whatever. And when you move, this will happen..." She said, pulling on a single strand of his hair. He flinched, and then shivered as the straps pressed against the ulnar nerve in both his elbows.

"Did you enjoy that?" Hawkmoth asked, admiring how the cat tried to stay still without breathing. He soon ran out of breath, and breathed in very carefully, barely moving. The supervillains laughed as he jerked suddenly again.

"I hope you have lots of sleep today, kitten. You will want lots of energy for our big day tomorrow!" Hawkmoth said enthusiastically, as if he were a child gifted with a lollipop.

Chat Noir tried to say something back, but couldn't due to the drugged fabric in his mouth.

As Hawkmoth and Mayura got into the elevator, Hawkmoth said one final thing.

"I wonder what Ladybug would think of her pet being so unable to defend himself. Do you think she misses you? I doubt Ladybug would care about you, forget love you. She is probably celebrating with your replacements as we speak."

Chat Noir put on a strong face, trying not to show how much the words hurt.

...

Ladybug swooped into her bedroom and detransformed beneath the covers of the bed, glancing at Lila to make sure she was still asleep. Marinette wriggled up and passed a cookie to Tikki, who had settled on her shoulder. Marinette picked up her phone to the table and put it on minimal brightness to not wake up Lila. She opened an app and started typing words on the screen, gesturing to Tikki to read them.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know, Marinette. Wait, check Chat Noir's baton is still with you." Tikki said urgently, trying not to drop crumbs.  
Marinette felt around and felt the baton by her feet. She picked it up and showed Tikki.

"Thank goodness!" Tikki sighed.

"What has the baton got to to with anything? Hawkmoth can't track it, can he?" Marinette whispered, completely baffled.

"No, he can't track it. But, when Chat Noir detransforms, his baton disappears, similar to how your yoyo disappear when you detransform. As long as you still have the baton, it means that..."

"Chat Noir is still transformed, so Hawkmoth doesn't have his miraculous!" Marinette said.

"Exactly. This means that we still have time to save him!" Tikki whispered.

"Then what are we waiting for? Tik-" she said, forgetting to speak quietly.

"Marinette? Why are you still awake? And what are we waiting for?" Lila asked.

"Wha- Lila! How long have you been awake?"

"It doesn't matter. It's Wednesday tomorrow, and I plan to ask Adrien out on a date, and I think it would be rude to yawn, so I'd like to have as much sleep as possible."

"What, you can't do that!"

"Why, it's not like you were going to. Anyway, do you want your parents to know that you are keeping up a guest, or staying up all night on your phone?" Lila asked, an innocent expression on her face.

"You know its rude to complain about people who have given you such hospitality. Or perhaps I will have to bring up your super real lying disorder."

"Oh, Marinette, I think you need to realise that I have the power right now. I don't think Adrien would approve of you ruining his first ever sleepover."

"Look, Lila, I have a lot going on right now, and I would hate to have to add you to my list of problems."

"Then go to sleep, Marinette, that is all I want right now."

"Fine!" Marinette said through gritted teeth. Then she turned to face the wall and shut her eyes tight, willing sleep to take her as soon as possible.

Lila pretended to do the same. She shut her eyes, but listened carefully for the gentle snore Marinette produced a few minutes later. Lila reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of gloves, which she slipped onto her hands; she didn't want to leave fingerprints.

Lila stood up silently and climbed up the ladder towards the bed. She stood above her and pulled one of Marinette's eyelids open slightly. Yep, she was definitely asleep. Lila's had felt around the mattress, until she had felt the cool surface of Marinette's phone, which was screen down. Lila turned it over so the screen faced her, and cringed as the light shined into her eyes, meaning Marinette had forgotten to turn it off. Lila picked up the phone and brought it down to her sleeping bag.

She tapped the 'history' button and scrolled through a long list of fashion websites. Nothing. There was nothing in her search history that Lila could use against her. Lila sighed, putting the phone on the table. She looked around the room, trying to see something that she could use against Marinette in the future. Her eyes stopped when she spotted something red and shiny beneath the bed. She squinted, trying to make out what it was. It looked like it was oval shaped, like a very large egg, and it had black dents in it. It looked awfully similar to a giant ladybug...

Tikki panicked, noticing Lila had spotted the miracle box. She flew down behind Lila and did the only thing she could think of. She pulled on Lila's hair, hearing the girl grunt in response.

Lila turned around and started to panic as she saw nothing but darkness behind her. She lay down in her sleeping bag and tried to sleep the sudden fear away.

Tikki flew to beneath Marinette's bed and replaced the miracle box with a big ladybug stuffed toy, shoving the miracle box deeper under the bed. She would explain tomorrow. She was tired and wanted sleep, and she knew Marinette did too.

...

By the time the sun rose, Chat Noir's arms were throbbing painfully as the ulnar nerves got stimulated with every breath. He was lying on his stomach as he had been for hours, with his head limp against the floor. Every once in a while he would start choking on the fabric in his mouth, helplessly coughing it up until his throat was raw. Then the fabric would go back into his mouth and the straps around his elbows would press the nerve hard against the bone from the sudden movement. Chat Noir was exhausted, from the nerve abuse, the lack of air, gagging and lack of sleep.

Hawkmoth and Mayura had come in without him even noticing. Hawkmoth walked up to him and picked up the boy's head.

"Did you have a good sleep?" He asked mockingly. "It is time for our next game!" Hawkmoth ripped off the tape  
and stuck his hand in Chat Noir's mouth, pulling the fabric out. He stood up and watched Chat Noir as he gasped for air through his mouth.

Mayura attached two clip-like objects to the straps on his elbows, and they loosened ever so slightly.

"Don't get your hopes up, kitten. This clips will press twice as hard against your funny bone whenever I activate them with this." Mayura said, gesturing to a remote. "Let me give you a demonstration..."

She pressed one of the buttons on the remote and grinned as Chat Noir squirmed helplessly on the floor.

As he was squirming, Hawkmoth had cut the chains off the cuffs. He picked up the hero and sat him on a chair. Mayura brought a metal table close, and uncuffed his hands. She brought his left hand forward and secured it to the left side of the table, as Hawkmoth did the same to the other.

"This does look like the perfect interrogation room, doesn't it?" Mayura smiled pleasantly down at the hero. Hawkmoth brought over a deep bowl of water and placed it on the table in front of Chat Noir's head. Hawkmoth then stood behind him and grasped the blonde's hair. Mayura sat down on the opposite side of the table, admiring how the child tried to get free, even with all the drugs in his system.

"The rules of this game is simple. I ask you a question. If you do not answer it, or answer incorrectly, Hawkmoth is going to push your head in the water for however long he wants to. While you are drowning, I will press this button on the remote. Understood?" Mayura asked, dangling the remote teasingly in front of his face.

"No, I-" Chat Noir started, about to say a brilliant pun, when Hawkmoth shoved his head beneath the surface of the water, and Mayura pressed the button, watching the straps press the nerve against the bone in his elbows. 

She watched as he struggles and squirmed against the restraints and Hawkmoth, but Hawkmoth had no intention of letting his up for at least another 20 seconds. He listened to the bubbles pop as they reached the surface of the water, and the faint sound of Chat Noir screaming into the water.

He pulled the boy by his hair and his head came up, shaking away droplets of water and gasping for air.

"Let's start with question one now. Do you know who Ladybug is?"

"No-" Chat Noir grunted, feeling Hawkmoth shove his head back under the water and the nerves in his elbows silently begging for release. Hawkmoth's fingers reached around his face and pressed against his closed eyes, and opened the eyes, exposing them to the salty, lemony water. He brought Chat Noir's head up again.

"What was that for? I don't know who she is! You said if I get the answer wrong you do that. I got the answer right!" Chat Noir cried, his eyes stinging.

"Ah, so you do understand the rules, and you lied to us when you said you didn't." Hawkmoth said, feeling the boy tense up in his grip. Chat Noir was silent.

"Well, since you understand the rules we will move on to the next question. What are Ladybug's fears?" Mayura asked.

"I don't know, she's probably not scared of anything-" Hawkmoth dunked his head back into the water and held his eyes open. 

"We are getting nothing out of him, Mayura! You said this would work!" Hawkmoth told her, holding the cat's head firmly beneath the water.

"It's working! Look, he's already cracking under the pressure." Mayura gestured to Chat Noir's balled up fists. "This is a process that takes some time to work."

Hawkmoth pulled Chat Noir's head back up. He was gagging up water and coughing roughly, tears streaming down his wet face.

"Please... stop..." He begged, still gasping in air. Mayura tossed a triumphant glance at Hawkmoth, and pressed the button on the remote. Chat Noir wriggled aggressively, desperately trying to break free of... anything.

Hawkmoth released his head and walked off, picking something up. Mayura placed the remote on the table face down, so the button was held down. She walked over to Chat Noir and released the restraints, seeing a fist come directly at her face. She fell back and looked, shocked, at the hero who had stood up and was now running directly at the window. He jumped at it, hoping it would crack as he smashed into it. 

But, it did not. The window itself looked at least a metre thick, a simple bump would not be enough to break it. He turned around, seeing Hawkmoth pointing a gun at him. Hawkmoth pulled the trigger and a dart flew out, and buried into Chat Noir's neck. He fought to stay upright and standing, then felt himself slowly collapse onto the floor. He felt the straps on his elbows tighten as the nerve pressed against the bone, and his neck feel slightly wet. He saw black spots appear, and then grow as they consumed him and left him in the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tikki tells Marinette that, as long as she has Chat Noir's baton, Chat Noir is transformed, so Hawkmoth does not have the Cat miraculous yet. Lila is annoying.
> 
> Hawkmoth and Mayura try to get information out of Chat Noir, but he stays strong-ish.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has five sections. 
> 
> The first, third, and fifth sections are torture-free. 
> 
> The second and fourth include depictions of torture, involving humiliation, slight electrocution and stuff with water.
> 
> There will be a summary of what happens at the end again.

Lila's eyes flicked open as she heard buzzing coming from the table. She looked at Marinette, who was still sleeping. Lila stood up, and walked over to the table, seeing Marinette's phone vibrating roughly. She pressed the 'answer call' button, and saw Alya's face pop up.

"Hi, Alya! What are you doing up so early in the morning?"

"I have to talk to Marinette about- wait, where is she, and why do you have her phone? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine, but still asleep. I figured I should let her sleep, she had seemed really tired last night."

"Lila! You're too nice! Yeah, Marinette could definitely use some extra sleep... Anyway, when she wakes up, could you remind her to check the Ladyblog? I put on some major stuff!"

"Major stuff? Alya, you just _have_ to tell me!"

"Of course, girl! The stuff I put up isn't actually about Ladybug, though. It's about Hawkmoth."

"You have definitely got my full attention now!"

"Good! Basically, last night, a security camera spotted Hawkmoth at a zoo!"

"What? Why would he go to a zoo?"

"I have no idea, but the police got called in. They got there a bit too late, but found a note that we assume was written the bad guy."

"What did it say?"

"I can't remember off the top of my head, but I posted a photo of it on the Ladyblog. You should totally go check it out. Oh, hey Marinette!"

Lila turned around and looked up, seeing a tired and angry Marinette peering down at her.

"What are you doing on my phone, Lila?" Marinette asked, keeping her voice steady.

"Lila was talking to me as you weren't awake yet." Alya said.

"Clearly." Marinette said through gritted teeth. "What were you talking about?" She got out of bed and climbed down the ladder.

"Alya was telling me about her new post on the Ladyblog. Can we see it on your computer?" Lila asked, eyes wide and innocent.

"Sure." Marinette opened her computer and opened the Ladyblog, seeing a new post uploaded. She saw a photo of a neatly written letter. "What's this?"

"That's the letter written by Hawkmoth when he robbed the zoo last night."

"When?"

"I don't know, like, a few hours ago." Alya replied. "Shoot, I've got to go. See you, girls!" Alya disconnected.

Marinette zoomed in on the letter, reading the words.

"I wasn't sure I had the best equipment to take care of your pet, but the zoo has many useful tools I can use. I would have paid for them, but it would have been all over the news if I had been seen in public, whoever I may have choosen to be." Marinette read the words aloud.

"That doesn't even make sense! 'if I had been seen in public' he was seen, by the security camera or person who had called the police in the first place. Why would he make such an obvious lie?"

"Did you really just say that, Lila?"

"Yes, I did. As I have told you before, I only tell people what they want to hear."

"Still lying. How do you know he was seen?"

"Alya told me, go ahead and ask her is you don't believe me."

Marinette bit her lip. She would definitely be asking Alya later. Lila was being very suspicious, she could easily be Hawkmoth. That meant Marinette could have been sleeping literally right next to Hawkmoth!

Marinette panicked and looked around the room, seeing Tikki hiding in the corner. They met eyes, and Marinette brushed some hair behind her ear, tapping slightly on the earring, a clear sign to Tikki to check on the miracle box. Tikki waved her little arms around, trying to tell Marinette something.

"What?" Marinette whispered, completely forgetting Lila was behind her.

"What?" Lila asked.

"Oh, I, uh, just heard, Adrien calling me. I better go!" Marinette said, opening the trapdoor on the floor.

"No way are you going to sabotage my date with him!" Lila followed Marinette down the stairs, cringing at how bright and cold it was. She could see Marinette was hugging herself, looking around for Adrien.

"Adrien? Where are you?" Marinette called.

"Hey, look, the window's open! Maybe he snuck out!" Lila said, sticking her head out the window. Marinette fought the urge to slam the window shut.

"He couldn't. We are about 3 storeys up from the ground, there is no way he just jumped out! Wait, I remember Adrien telling me that he likes to keep the window open at home, maybe he just opened it to feel a bit more comfortable?"

"Sure, Marinette." Lila said sarcastically.

"Ah, Marinette, Lila, you're awake! Shall we get breakfast ready?" Sabine asked, opening the door and coming in. She saw the empty sofa. "Where is Adrien?"

"Maybe he went home, this was his first time away from the Agreste mansion, he probably got a bit homesick." Lila said, backing away from the open window.

For once, Marinette felt grateful for Lila.

"Ahh!" She cried as she felt a sharp tug on a few strands of her hair.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Sabine asked, worried.

"Yeah, yeah, my hair is just really knotted, I need to brush it." Marinette said as she went back into her room, shutting the trapdoor behind her. "Tikki, was that you?"

"It was, I'm sorry, Marinette, but I had to talk to you."

"It's fine Tikki, did you want to talk about Chat Noir, Adrien, something else?"

"A whole bunch of stuff." Tikki said. She knew Chat Noir's identity, so knew why Adrien was not downstairs, but she couldn't tell Marinette. "I think Hawkmoth gave us a clue."

"A clue? How? What with?"

"The letter. Remember, it said 'it would have been all over the news if I had been seen in public, whoever I may have choosen to be'. This has to mean something. Obviously, Hawkmoth seen in public would have been all over the news, but the letter said 'whoever I may have choosen to be'. That could mean that Hawkmoth, in his civilian form, is a famous figure."

"Yes! That would make sense! He also said 'I would have paid for them'. I guess that could mean he has a lot of money..."

"That's brilliant! We are a bit closer to finding out who he is. I must ask you to keep a keen eye out for anything fishy-"

"Like Lila! She was on my phone earlier and-"

"She also saw the miracle box..." Tikki said. Marinette's eyes filled with panic as she climbed the ladder and looked under the bed. "Don't worry, I shoved it further under the bed, and brought the ladybug toy under the bed too, to hide it."

"Do you think Lila's Hawkmoth? It could make sense, her just suddenly turning up when all this stuff happens."

"That could be true, or perhaps she has allied herself with Hawkmoth. Either way, I am going to keep an eye on her, you should to." Tikki said.

"And for Adrien, he may have gone back to the mansion, maybe I should check, as Ladybug. I can't have him vanishing too. Who knows? The disappearances of Chat Noir and Adrien may be linked, even though we sort of know what happened to Chat Noir..."

"Speaking of Chat Noir, promise me, Marinette, you will apologise to him as soon as possible."

"What for? I already have! Anyway, you agreed with me when I said he was doing well with it! Why didn't you tell me then?"

"You were falling asleep, there was no point if you were going to fall asleep and forget it. And you know how easily Chat Noir forgives. You did stomp on his shoulder when it was dislocated, and you had doubted him quite a lot. You're a team, you need to trust each other! He trusts you, you should trust him too. And, I think you should realise that you are not indestructible, even as Ladybug. The reason you never get hit is because Chat Noir is always sacrificing himself for you. That's why he is the one who gets controlled by the villains, rather than you. I understand that you always need to have that tiny little bit of doubt about things as you are Ladybug and the guardian, but, really? Chat Noir loves you, he would never betray you. And your attitude recently has been... different. You are not a celebrity, you're a superhero, and every word you say to journalists, it can be used to find you're identity. I'm not going to soften the truth for you. You've really been slacking recently, both as a hero and a person."

Marinette's eyes widened as it all came crashing down upon her. She felt her mouth open and close, but no sound came out. She felt herself fall back onto her bed as tears slid down her cheeks and fell onto her lap. But Marinette couldn't care less. How could she? How could she have been so cruel to him, doubting him when she had literally seen him get attacked? Not only had she hurt him emotionally, but also physically. Big deal, she helped him get better, but no way did that make up for dropping him like that and injuring him further. Marinette's mind flashed back to all the times she had seen him throw himself in front of her to shield her from when she was in danger. She remembered when he had willingly fallen off the platform when fighting Gamer 2.0. She still remembered what words he said to her, how much faith he had in her. To every time he had subtly but truthfully declared his love for her. To how he was constantly saving her without her even realising. Marinette threw her head in her hands and cried quietly, clutching Chat Noir's baton. Tikki flew behind and whispered into her ear. "It's fine to make mistakes. The important thing to do is improving, and you have an opportunity to do so right now. Once we get Chat Noir back, you can apologise, properly this time."

Marinette's phone buzzed. She picked it up, seeing Alya had sent her a photo and short message. Marinette sniffed and opened it.

'Hey, girl! Look! I found something new! Chat Noir has vandalised the Louvre!'

Below, was the photo. It showed The Louvre, with green and black paint splatted across the ground in front of it. There were some words written.

'You better watch you're back, M'lady. This cat is going to be bugging you so much you're going to give me your mircaulous!'

...

"Did you see what we did, kitten? Or, rather, what _you_ did?" Hawkmoth smirked as he taunted Chat Noir, who was lying on the ground. "What are you going to do about it? That's right. Nothing. You are nothing."

"No- I-I-I- a-am-"

"You're a what? A criminal? A vandal? Yes, Chat Noir. Yes you are." Mayura said, pressing the heel of her boot on one of the bruises on his face. Hawkmoth and Mayura had had lots of fun with him. They added lots of colour to Chat Noir, like red spots on his suit to match Ladybug, and blue and purple spots all over his face and neck. Mayura couldn't see, but she knew that his neck also had lots of red on it, because of the collar they had placed around his neck a while ago. She also couldn't see the bruising and bleeding and bumping Chat Noir had experienced within the suit, but she knew that was there too.

And yet, despite all the physical pain they had put him through, he had given them no information. So, they had continued to put him through physical pain, but wanted to do something more. Something that would ruin him for the rest of his life. Perhaps break his mind, his spirit, his life. Framing him for something like vandalism was just the beginning of what they planned to do.

Mayura picked him up and placed his limp body on the chair. she tied the collar to the back of the chair, so he was stuck facing up. Hawkmoth brought over a large bottle of water, placing it on the table.

"Are you thirsty, Chat Noir?" Hawkmoth knew he was thristy, they hadn't given him any water since they had taken him.

Chat Noir nodded faintly, then shivered as Mayura clipped two metal clips to his neck, just above the collar. She connected the clips to a wire, leading to a box. Chat Noir knew exactly what the box did. Mayura connected the box to a remote, which she kept in her hand. She walked around behind him and pinched his nose harshly, making him open his mouth to breath. As soon as he had breathed in, Hawkmoth shoved the bottle in his mouth, forcing the icy water down his throat.

"Drink. If any water spills, you're going to get a shock. Do you understand?"

Chat Noir nodded, afraid of what would happen if he did anything else.

"Use you words, kitten." Hawkmoth said, pressing the bottle harder into his mouth.

"I uh-duh-stuh-nduh." Chat Noir said through the water, shivering as some of it spilled out of his mouth.

Mayura pressed the button and the box delivered an electric shock to his neck.

Chat Noir jerked and wrapped his lips around the bottle, making sure no more water spilled out. He choked down the water before Hawkmoth pulled the bottle away, allowing him to breath for a moment. Then the bottle was shoved back into his mouth. Chat Noir wrapped his lips around it again.

"Eager, aren't we?" Hawkmoth said, tipping the bottle so that even more water entered his mouth. Chat Noir flinched but said nothing.

Soon, the entire bottle had been emptied, and now filled Chat Noir's bladder.

"Are you full? Do you need a litter box? Because you're not getting one." Hawkmoth mocked, taking Mayura's place behind Chat Noir. Mayura turned to put the table to the side, and removed the clips from his neck.

Hawkmoth bent down slightly and wrapped his arms around Chat Noir's lower stomach, interlocking his fingers. He felt the kitten feebly trying to get Hawkmoth's hands off, but he had lost most of his sense of touch from his elbows down due to the ulnar nerve being stimulated so much. It was still being stimulated, but Chat Noir could barely feel it now.

Hawkmoth pushed on Chat Noir's stomach, hearing the water still going through his system.

Chat Noir whimpered, trying very hard to get Hawkmoth's hands off him before he seriously embarrassed himself. Now that it wasn't shoved in his mouth, Chat Noir could see how much water was in the bottle a few minutes ago. The actual bottle itself looked like the type you would find on a water dispenser. Chat Noir didn't want to think about water though. But the pressing on his lower stomach was getting stronger, and more water was filling his bladder every second...

Mayura stood in front of Chat Noir and perched herself on the table, bringing up a phone, that was obviously filming him.

Chat Noir felt his legs tense up as the urge grew stronger by each passing moment.

"Look at this! Some superhero you are, about to wet himself like a baby!" Mayura laughed. Chat Noir shook his head helplessly, his face going red. "Then perhaps you would like some more?" Mayura asked, revealing a second bottle full of water. She unscrewed the cap and stepped closer.

...

"Promise me we'll find him, please Alya!"

"Of course we will, don't worry. He has probably just gone out for a walk. Probably back to his place, so Lila and you will look in that area."

"Yeah... so, bye! I will go look now!" Marinette called, running off. Alya raised an eyebrow at Marinette's sudden exit, but assumed it was because she wanted to find Adrien as soon as possible. Alya turned and faced the rest of the class, who had gathered in the park to help find Adrien.

"So we all know what area we will be looking in?" Alya received several nods and 'yes's.

"I've sent you all a map of the area and where we will all be looking. Stay in the area highlighted with your colour." Max said glancing at Markov, who was projecting a coloured map onto the wall.

"Do you guys remember where he was the last time he went missing? It was around Christmas time..." Nino started.

"He was with the Santa!" Kim said, grinning.

"I don't think he's going to be with Santa this time, though." Alix said.

"Well, being with Santa would make more sense than what you came up with." Kim threw back.

"Okay, guys. We're not going to laugh at each other's ideas." Mylene said, stepping in between the two.

"Yeah, he could pretty much be anywhere!" Ivan stood behind her.

"Oh, maybe Chat Noir kidnapped him!" Alix said sarcastically. The group went silent, thinking.

"He is a criminal now, right? He vandalised the Louvre." Alya said, bringing up the Ladyblog on her phone.

"Let's not jump to conclusions, maybe he was framed?" Rose asked.

"By who? Hawkmoth was at the zoo last night, so couldn't have done it." Alya replied.

"The Mayura person could have..." Juleka said quietly.

"I guess that would work... But what about the letter Hawkmoth left in the zoo? He said 'your pet'. That could, in some weird way, be Mayura." Alya said.

"Remember when there were two Ladybugs? One was a santa monster, or somethin-" Nino started.

"Santa!" Kim and Alix said in unison.

"Sentimonster! You have _got_ to read the Ladyblog more!" Alya said.

"Yeah, yeah, sentimonster. Hawkmoth said something about Chat Noir being a pet." Nino said.

"What? So now Hawkmoth is looking after Chat Noir?" Kim said.

"Maybe, maybe Chat Noir changed sides?" Mylene said. The group went silent once more.

"So Chat Noir kidnapped Adrien? Is that what happened?"

"It seems likely. I was staying at Marinette's house last night. When Marinette and I woke up, he wasn't there anymore, and the window was open." Lila said.

"So then the message Chat Noir wrote by the Louvre, he might try and to use Adrien as bait! We have to tell Ladybug!"

"So then there's no point looking for Adrien... Hang on, let me call Marinette."

Alya called Marinette, and she picked up in a matter of seconds.

"Please, please, please, please, _please_ tell me you've found him!" Marinette said.

"In a way... check on the Ladyblog, this is big stuff we found out!" Alya said.

Marinette frowned, opening the Ladyblog. She froze as she saw the words written. The single article was getting hundreds of views by the minute, but Marinette only needed to see the title to know the reaction people were going to have.

"Chat Noir has betrayed Ladybug and Paris!"

"No, no, no, no!" Marinette muttered to herself. Tikki popped up and sat on Marinette's shoulder. No one was around to see her, as Marinette had gone back to the bakery rather than looking for Adrien. Tikki's face fell as she saw the article. Marinette opened the article and a long page came up, filled with proof about Chat Noir becoming a criminal and betraying Paris. Marinette scrolled through the article, scanning the words. Luckily, Alya had classified Adrien as an 'victim who shall remain unknown to the public', so people would not link Adrien and Chat Noir together. Marinette panicked as she saw how persuasive the article was. At the bottom of the page, comments had already been added. A few people defended Chat Noir, while most agreed that Chat Noir had turned and betrayed Ladybug.

"Would this be a good time to talk to journalists as Ladybug?"

"I think so. What are you going to tell them?"

"I have no idea, maybe I'll just tell them what happened?"

"I think that would be best. But, before that, I have an idea, on how to find Chat Noir. Maybe, if we make a list of all the possible Hawkmoths, the kwamis can check them. Then we could work out Hawkmoth's identitiy!"

"Tikki, that's genius!" Marinette sat down in front of the computer.

"If I ask the kwamis to come out, maybe they can make the list of suspects while Ladybug defends Chat Noir." Tikki asked. Marinette nodded, seeing Tikki fly under the bed. After a few minutes, all the kwamis flew out from beneath Marinette's bed. Tikki made sure the trapdoor was locked.

Marinette spun around and faced the kwamis.

"Okay, so this is a computer. The buttons have letters. If you press them, the letters will appear somewhere on the screen. You can search stuff like this." Marinette explained, quickly guiding the kwamis through how to use her computer, how to delete history, and then how to use a pencil, rubber and paper. The kwamis nodded and spread out. Some flew to the computer, some to the notepad Marinette had laid out, and some kept watch, to make sure the kwamis would not be cought.

"Good luck, kwamis. Remember, we think Hawkmoth is a famous figure, and pretty well off, with lots of money."

"Good luck to you too." The kwamis said. Marinette nodded and transformed, jumping out of the window, then closing it behind her.

...

Chat Noir turned his head away from the incoming bottle. It was the third bottle that he was being forced to drink, and he simply could not have any more. His knees and thighs were pressed tightly together and his whole body was shaking. His entire midsection was aching and he was sweating from the pressure.

"No more? Then, just like the last times, you have a choice. You can either give us some _important_ information about Ladybug, or prove you are a worthless little baby, which you are, or keep drinking. It's all up to you." Mayura said sweetly, as if she were talking to a child.

"But I don't know anything important!" He whined, making Hawkmoth and Mayura laugh.

"Wow, does Ladybug even trust you at all?" Hawkmoth snickered.

"She... does?" Chat Noir said pathetically. Did she trust him? She never told him about Master Fu when he was the guardian, or anything about the new heroes she brought on.

"Of course not! Why would anyone trust you? You're just a joke to her! She doesn't need you! That's why she gets the other heroes, to replace you! You can't be a hero. You're not trustworthy. You are nothing. You are just a worthless, useless kitten she picked up of the street. You were probably given the miraculous as a mistake in the first place!"

Chat Noir shut his eyes tight, begging himself not to cry, or wet himself. He couldn't recognise the voices, but he was sure what they were saying was true.

"Aww, look! The little baby is going to cry!"

"I really feel bad for Ladybug, having to put up with you for all those years. That's why she gave you to us."

"W-w-what?" Chat Noir asked.

"Oh, didn't she tell you? She gave you to us. What did she say, Hawkmoth? Do you remember?"

"She said we would be doing her and all of Paris a favour by getting rid of such a failure. She said she couldn't bare to even think about you, because you reminded her so much of the times she almost lost. Oh, if you could see them outside. They are having a party, celebrating your disappearance. They all seem so happy! I remember when we were that happy, back when we didn't have to constantly put up with this mess." Hawkmoth gestured to Chat Noir, who couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

...

Ladybug landed in the park, looking around for Nadja, or anyone with a camera. She saw Alya with her friends by a wall, and ran over to them.

"Who is responsible for the idea about Chat Noir betraying me?" She asked, struggling to keep her anger at bay.

"I am, but it's not an idea, I have proof and everything!" Alya said, holding up her phone and showing Ladybug the article. "Everyone agrees with me, too." She scrolled down and showed Ladybug the comments, many of which have turned violent, wanting action taken against Chat Noir.

Ladybug's face looked worried, as she realised that, if Chat Noir managed to escape, or if she rescued him, the public would probably put him in a lot of danger.

"Look, I'm not telling you how to do your job, but I think you should take away his miraculous, as soon as possible. It's only a matter of time before he makes his next move!" Alya said.

A crowd was surrounding them now, listening intently.

"We don't have any solid proof that-"

"Yes, Ladybug, we do! You can't deny the facts!" someone in the crowd called.

"Wait, guys. If you think he is innocent, what do you think happened to the victim he kidnapped, or the vandalism on the Louvre? That message was clearly intended for you, and only he would come up with something like that. Did you see the pun, and the 'm'lady'? Only Chat Noir says that." someone else said.

Ladybug bit her lip, thinking. If she continued to defend Chat Noir, the crowd would turn against her. Maybe even the whole of Paris, as several people, including Alya, had started filming. She needed something that would shock the crowd, but also convince them Chat Noir was innocent. She needed to tell the truth.

"Chat Noir has been kidnapped!" She blurted out. "He was kidnapped by Hawkmoth at around midnight last night!"

The crowd audibly gasped.

"I'm sorry Ladybug, but that sounds like something you would just make up to get us on your side. You need to either provide evidence, or accept the truth." Alya said, stepping forward.

"I have his baton. There was a message from Hawkmoth on it." Ladybug blurted out again.

"Where?" someone asked.

"It's... at, I can't tell you where! But you just need to trust m-"

"Trust you? No, you need to trust us! Chat Noir is a vandal and a kidnapper. You need to accept that!" someone else yelled.

Ladybug thought for a moment. She would not be able to help Chat Noir if Paris wanted her guts too, so she should just play along with them, for now. Ladybug gave herself a quick nod, getting ready to start acting.

"You're right! I'm sorry! I just- wasn't able to accept this! I'm sorry." Ladybug cried, appearing to break down in front of the crowd.

The crowd's hard gaze softened. "It's fine. We just want to make sure you're on our side." Alya said.

"I will always be on the side of Paris." Ladybug stood up, and zipped away, then whispered "just like Chat Noir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hawkmoth frames Chat Noir for vandalism.
> 
> Tikki tells Marinette the wrongs of her ways, and Marinette promises to apologise properly to Chat Noir.
> 
> Alya and most of the class jump to conclusions, believing that Chat Noir has kidnapped Adrien. She writes about it on the Ladyblog, and turns Paris against Chat Noir. Ladybug attempts to defend him.
> 
> Chat Noir starts to crack under the pressure, but keeps his mouth shut. Hawkmoth and Mayura make him believe Ladybug gave him to them, as she didn't want him anymore.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are 5 sections to this chapter. The first, third, and fifth sections involve depictions of torture, with needles, humiliation, strangulation, hanging and a tiny mention of blood.
> 
> The second and fourth sections are torture-free.
> 
> There will be a brief summary at the end of the chapter.

Hawkmoth laughed loudly as he pressed hard suddenly on Chat Noir's lower stomach.

"No, no, no, no...." Chat Noir whispered as he tried to cover his face with his hands, knowing he wouldn't be able to fight the urge for much longer.

"Oh, no, you don't." Hawkmoth said as he grabbed Chat Noir's arms. With one of his hands, he held Chat Noir's wrists to the side. With the other, he continued to press even harder on his lower stomach. Mayura stood up and brought the phone closer to Chat Noir, taunting him as his face turned even more red. Then, his face made an expression of relief, but mostly humiliation, as the urge overtook him completely.

"Wow! He actually wet himself! What a baby!" Mayura laughed, her cheeks hurting from grinning so much. "Ha! And now he's crying again! Such a big strong superhero you are, Chat Noir!"

Hawkmoth stood up and unhooked the collar from the chair. Chat Noir brought his head forward and his knees to his chest, trying to block everything out. Hawkmoth reached down and grabbed his chin, and pulled him off the chair completely.

Chat Noir fell onto the floor and tried to stand back up, before being kicked back down. Mayura rolled him over so he was now on his back, as Hawkmoth shoved the metal table and chair to the side. Mayura picked him up, bringing his feet about 10 centimetres off the floor.

"Are you ready for our next game?"

...

Ladybug swooped onto the balcony and detransformed as she crouched down. Marinette opened the trapdoor and held Tikki in her hand as she climbed into her room.

"What happened?" One of the kwamis flew towards her.

Marinette took a deep breath.

"We failed. The public thinks Chat Noir's kidnapped someone, and now want to get rid of him." She said, throwing her hands in the air.

"Did any of you find any possible Hawkmoths?" Tikki said to the kwamis, hovering beside the computer.

"Yes, we managed to write a whole list of people, and their addresses." Longg said, picking up the list and giving it to Marinette. She read through the list, recognising most of the names.

"Woah, Adrien's father? No way..." Marinette muttered, seeing 'Gabriel Agreste' near the bottom of the list. "I really don't think it's him, he's out of Paris, on some fashion meeting thing. Adrien said so himself. Actually, a few of these people don't really make sense as Hawkmoth, like Jagged Stone, he was akumatised!"

"Hawkmoth may have akumatised his civilian self to throw us of his track. We shouldn't cross anyone of the list." Tikki said.

"What happens now, Marinette?" Wayzz asked.

"Now, we, well, um... I won't really be able to check on these people to see if they're Hawkmoth, so Tikki won't be able to either. There's 19 of you kwamis, right?" Marinette asked.

"Plagg, Tikki, Duusu and Nooroo will not be able to check on the suspects, so 15 of us." Sass said.

"Okay. If you split into 5 groups, each with 3 kwamis, you'll be able to check 5 people at once." Marinette said, counting the people on the list. "There are like 100 people on the list, ugh, the is going to take forever!" Marinette said, sitting down and spinning on her chair.

"It won't, Marinette. It would probably just take a few minutes to see if someone is Hawkmoth, so lets say 10 minutes. 5 people can get checked at once, so 100 divide 5 is... 20. 20 times 10 is... 200!" Tikki said.

"So it would take 200 minutes. Then, it'll take like 20 minutes to find the right address. So, 20 times 5 is a hundred. 300 minutes in total... okay... that's like 5 hours." Marinette said.

"We can go tonight, under cover of darkness, they will never see us coming!" Longg said.

"Okay. So, you'll go tonight, and we'll hopefully have Hawkmoth's identity by the morning!" Marinette said, confidence rising. "Do not get seen, though. That would completely mess up the plan. So, can you get into groups of 3." Marinette said as she took a few sheets of paper. She looked at the list and scribbled down roughly 20 random names on each sheet. She wrote the addresses next to the names, and handed one sheet to each group of kwamis.

"You can read my writing, right?"

"Do not worry about such things as neatness, we are close to finally ending Hawkmoth's reign!" Pollen said.

"That's if Hawkmoth was telling the truth on the letter. He could easily have been lying, just like Lila! Wait, couldn't Hawkmoth be a female, who is pretending to be male, to throw us off?" Marinette asked.

"Maybe... but we should get the males out of the way first.Then, if we still don't know who Hawkmoth is, then we can make a list on the females." Wayzz said.

Marinette nodded, then jumped at the sudden bang on her trapdoor. All the kwamis, except Tikki, hid under the bed, presumably going into the Miracle Box. Tikki hid beneath the sofa.

"Ugh! Why did you lock this, Marinette?" Lila called. Marinette groaned and unlocked it.

"What were you doing?" Lila asked suspiciously, looking around.

"Well I _was_ enjoying myself."

Lila rolled her eyes. She sat down on the floor and looked up at Marinette.

"Enjoying yourself? So while Adrien is out there kidnapped by Chat Noir, probably being tortured or something, you're here _enjoying_ yourself?" Lila asked slowly.

"I said 'was'. That's past tense and- hey, don't you roll your eyes at me!"

"I can do what I want, I'm the guest here, remember."

Then it was Marinette's turn to roll her eyes. 

Suddenly, the ground shuddered, and Marinette fell over on top of Lila, who produced a high pitched squeal.

"What was that?" Lila asked, trying to stand up to look outside the window. "There's this big tree thing outside!"

"Oh, really?" Marinette asked, following her.

"Yes, there is." Lila said.

Marinette's face flashed worry, realising the 'tree thing' was an akuma, or an amok. "I've got to go..."

"What, are you Ladybug, planning to go out there and save the day?" Lila scoffed, about to climb down into the living room.

"Yes, Lila, I am!" Marinette said, knowing Lila wouldn't believe her.

"Ugh, yeah right! Actually, that would make sense, you're both such annoying goody two shoes!" Lila ran down the stairs, followed by Marinette.

The earth rumbled again, and both girls fell to the floor. Sabine appeared at the door, and told them to hurry up. The girls stood up and ran over to the door, their hearts pounding. 

Marinette noticed the ceiling above the door was about to collapse, so she shoved Lila through the doorway, and fell onto her back as the ceiling caved in. Marinette stood up and backed away from the pile of rubble in her way. She ran back up the stairs to her bedroom, and looked at Tikki.

"Tikki, Spots On!"

Ladybug jumped on her bed, and unlocked the trapdoor above her. She climbed onto the balcony and took her yoyo off her waist, looking for the villain.

...

Hawkmoth took a rope and tied it to a hook on the ceiling. He took the end that dangled in front of him and tied it onto the back of the collar on Chat Noir's neck. He then tightened the collar, so you would barely be able to fit a pin between his skin and the leather. 

Chat Noir gasped and tried to cut the leather with is claws as he panicked. Hawkmoth nodded to Mayura, who dropped him. Chat winced as he bounced up and down slightly, as the rope held him just above the ground. If he stretched his feet, he could just about manage to stand on the tips of his boots.

"Can you guess what's going to happen next?" Mayura asked, grinning.

"You're... gonna... hang... me..." Chat Noir said between heavy breaths.

"Oh, not just that. Have you ever tried bungee jumping? Bungee jumping is a bit similar to this. And you know about earthquakes, right? How they make it feel like the Earth just hiccuped. What do you think would happen, if there was a villain that could replicate the impact of an earthquake, while leaving the ground perfectly intact? Would you still be able to stand?" Mayura asked.

"I think the real question is, would you even be able to breath? Who knows, this may be the last few moments of Chat Noir, the little baby kitten who was unable to do anything. Unable to save Paris. Unable to help Ladybug. Unable to even hold his bladder." Hawkmoth said, punching Chat Noir hard in the stomach, leaving him swinging on the rope and helplessly kicking as he tried to breath.

"Of course, you once again have a choice. Important information about Ladybug, or you can hang here, and wait for the earthquakes"

Chat Noir shook his head faintly, still refusing to tell them anything.

"How disappointing. Then again, you always were such a disappointment to everyone around you, especially Ladybug." Hawkmoth said.

Mayura brought over a thick scarf, and tied it around his eyes, leaving some to droop over his nose and mouth, adding to his struggle.

"Enjoy the ride!" Mayura said. She pulled on his feet, seeing his neck stretch a little, and his mouth try to take in more air. She smirked and elbowed him in the ribs, hearing him whimper softly. 

Hawkmoth placed a set of earmuffs on Chat Noir's ears.

The two backed up, and admired how, in less than two days, they had almost broken his spirit.

_Almost._

...

Ladybug stepped back and dodged as the tree monster threw large branches at her.

"I am Tree Jumper, and will punish those who thinks jumping out of tree-houses is dangerous!" Tree Jumper yelled. Ladybug frowned, realising that the akumatised person probably wanted to jump out of trees.

She threw her yoyo at the roof in front of her, and took a good look at the body. It was taller than Gigantitan, but a little shorted than the Eiffel Tower. It's whole body was covered in leaves and bark. Ladybug had to admit, it looked impressive, especially in comparison to other villains she had fought, like Shadow. Ladybug felt a horrible twisted emotion flow through her as she remembered Shadow carry Chat Noir away, to Hawkmoth and Mayura. And now they had him, and they were probably doing horrible stuff to him, and-

The roof beneath Ladybug collapsed inwards and she fell into the house. She was relieved, as she remembered that all the buildings had been evacuated as soon as people realised what the villain's power was.

Ladybug climbed up the rubble and jumped onto a nearby roof, squinting at the akuma's body to try to find the akumatised object. She had no luck, so decided to give herself some.

"Lucky Charm!" She said, throwing the yoyo in the air. It came down, followed by a small statue. The small statue was the size of a kwami, and if Ladybug looked closer, she could see Mullo's face engraved on it. A light bulb lit up in her mind as she looked back to the akuma, who was roaring loudly, opening it's mouth wide. Ladybug zipped towards the bakery, and landed on the pile of rubble that use to be her balcony. She looked around, checking no one was watching.

"Spots off!" She knelt down, whispering to Tikki. "I need the mouse miraculous, and Mullo."

Tikki nodded, and flew through the rubble towards the Miracle Box. She came back a few moments later, with Mullo, who was holding the mouse miraculous. Marinette nodded and put the mouse miraculous on.

"Mullo, Get Squeaky!" Marinette said.

Multimouse stood up and split once, creating one large version of Multimouse, and one tiny version of Multimouse.

"Tikki, Mullo, Unify!" the small version said, becoming Multimouse with red streaks on her legs and arms.

The big Multimouse picked up the smaller one and held her in her hand as she jumped towards the villain. When they were close enough, the small Multimouse with red and black streaks called upon her Lucky Charm. A small device fell into her hands, beeping consistently.

"Metal detector?" large Multimouse asked.

"Metal detector." red-streaked Multimouse confirmed.

Large Multimouse held them tight in her hand as she threw herself at Tree Jumper. He roared and opened his mouth. Multimouse took the chance and threw the small Multimous into the mouth.

Red-streaked Multimouse fell through the darkness, down the throat of Tree Jumper. She landed and looked around, hearing Tree Jumper cause more earthquakes.

Red-streaked Multimouse waved the device around, hearing it beep louder when it touched the floor, or whatever she was standing on. Red-streaked Multimouse bent down and felt it, feeling the roughness of the ground, then an odd spot where it was perfectly smooth. She jumped on it, feeling it crush beneath her feet. She heard the akuma fly upwards, and followed it. It flew out of the akuma's mouth just as the tree-like body bubbled away into nothing but air.

Red-streaked Multimouse fell and got caught by large Multimouse. She put her on the floor, and they combined into one normal sized Multimouse.

"Mullo, Tikki, Divide!" Multimouse said, as she transformed into Ladybug. She opened the yoyo and de-evilised the akuma. "Bye bye, little butterfly! Miraculous Ladybug!"

The ladybugs swirled around and restored the buildings and all other damaged objects. She turned around and saw a young girl standing up, looking dazed.

"What happened?"

"You were akumatised. But, don't worry, you're fine now. But please, don't put yourself or others in danger, there are other ways to have fun and live dangerously, if you want."

The girl bit her lip, then nodded, seeing Ladybug's reasoning.

"Okay, Ladybug. Looks like there's no more jumping out of _big_ trees anymore." She said, waving to someone behind Ladybug.

Ladybug turned and saw journalists flooding towards her.

"Uh, I've got to go now, bug out!" She said, making a hasty exit. Ladybug zipped back to the bakery, which was no longer rubble. She slipped into her room, detransformed, and gave Mullo the miraculous to put away.

Sabine ran up the stairs and embraced Marinette.

"Oh, I was so worried! What happened?"

"Uh, the door collapsed, and Ladybug came in and took me somewhere else. Then I just appeared here when the ladybugs went around me. Magic, you know!" Marinette laughed. Sabine smiled and hugged her tighter.

"Your so lucky Ladybug found you, and not Chat Noir. I really be able to bare it if you got taken away too! Also, I have reported the kidnapping to the police, although they have suggested we keep quiet about it, with Adrien's celebrity status and all. Have you told anyone about his... disappearance?"

"I only told the people from school, and they want to keep quiet about it too so- woah!" Marinette said, before Tom interrupted her with another hug.

She hugged him back, wishing she had hugged Chat Noir back that night on the roof.

...

Hawkmoth reached up and snipped the rope, seeing Chat Noir fall onto his stomach with a grunt. Hawkmoth pulled the scarf and earmuffs off his head, allowing him to see and hear again.

"Hello? Worthless kitten? Are you still alive?" Hawkmoth asked, pulling on the collar, forcing Chat Noir to stand up on his shaking legs.

"Yes." Chat Noir gasped, his neck pulsing beneath the collar uncomfortably.

Hawkmoth reached for the part of the rope that was still dangling off the back of the collar, and pulled. Hawkmoth led Chat Noir back to the metal chair and sat him down. Hawkmoth stood behind the chair and wrapped the rope around his hand. He pulled sharply, and snickered and Chat Noir started gasping for air again as his airway was constricted.

Hawkmoth let the rope go, and walked off to get something. Chat Noir stood up and took the chance. He silently went to the large window and peered outside. He put his hands together and tried to pull off the glove on his right hand, he would need his cataclysm to break the window. The glove slipped off slowly and quietly. He dropped it on the floor.

"Catacy-" he whispered, placing his hand on the window. His plan would have worked, if only he had seen Mayura silently watching him from the shadows.

She stuck her fingers in his mouth, making him unable to finish the word.

"When will you get it? There. Is. No. Escape. For. You. What's even out there for you? No one needs you, no one wants you, no one likes you. No one, absolutely no one. And who would blame them? You are useless. Worthless. To everyone. Including Ladybug. Aww, are you trying to escape for her? Do you think she's going to love you if you escape? Ha! Why would she love someone like you? You were a terrible partner to her, and you weren't even a hero. Just imagine how your kwami feels, being associated with a failure like you. No one will ever need you, or want you, so just give up! Get the message everyone has been trying to tell you ever since you got the miraculous!" Mayura shouted into his ears, punctuating her words with punches.

Mayura dropped him and he fell to the floor. He crawled towards the window and placed his hand on the window again. He muttered the first half of the word, before Mayura shoved something metal in his mouth. He moved his tongue, trying to work out what it was. He moved his tongue up, and felt a sharp needle pierce the flesh. He brought his tongue back down instinctively, and kept his mouth open as Mayura picked him up.

"Do you want to know what that is?" Mayura asked, bringing him over to Hawkmoth.

Hawkmoth grabbed his chin and slowly closed his mouth, stopping just before his tongue reached the needle. "Are you going to talk, or do I need to tape your mouth shut again? Answer Mayura's question. Do you want to know what it is?"

"Ye-eh." Chat Noir said, unable to say the letter 's', as then the needle would poke his tongue again.

Hawkmoth nodded to Mayura and pulled the metal thing out of his mouth. Mayura put her hand in his mouth so he couldn't say anything.

Hawkmoth held the metal thing in front of Chat Noir's face. The top of the small device was curved with wires coming off the sides, and fit perfectly against the top of him mouth. In the middle, a needle about 4 centimetres long came down. On the tip, there was a tiny drop of blood from his tongue.

"I made this myself, and I am quite proud. Just like how you've gotten used to the straps on your elbows, you're going to get used to this in your mouth. But this would, obviously, be a bit more painful." Hawkmoth said, about to place it in Chat Noir's mouth. Mayura moved her hand out of the way, and guided it in.

Hawkmoth fit the device into Chat Noir's mouth, and wrapped the wires around his teeth so it wouldn't move. He flicked the needle to check it was stable, and then removed his hand.

"You look quite surprised, kitten. Maybe I should close your mouth for you..." Hawkmoth said, stepping towards Chat Noir.

Chat Noir shook his head desperatley, not wanting to close his mouth. If he did, the needle would go all the way through his tongue, and probably into the fleshy stuff beneath his tongue too.

"No? Alright then, but you're going to need to answer some questions then... no?" Hawkmoth said, seeing Chat Noir shake his head when he said 'questions'. "Well, we need to get something out of you. You choose. Blood, or questions?"

Chat Noir thought for a moment. He really didn't want to have a hole through his tongue, but he couldn't betray Ladybug. Ladybug. Chat Noir really missed her, even though he had seen her about two days ago. But he really couldn't believe she had given him to Hawkmoth and Mayura. Well, yes, he could, because that was what happened, wasn't it?

Hawkmoth looked at Chat Noir, who appeared to be deep in thought. Hawkmoth could see him getting more and more upset as every second passed. He grinned, seeing Chat Noir close his eyes tightly, as he always did when he was trying not to cry.

"Questions, then." Mayura said, answering for Chat Noir. She led him by the collar to the chair, and sat him down. He opened his eyes and blinked as he registered where he was again.

Mayura stood behind him and placed both her hands on the underside of his chin. Hawkmoth stepped forward and spoke. "Where does Ladybug keep the Miracle Box?"

Chat Noir thought. He didn't know. He shrugged.

"Come one, what did we say about words?" Hawkmoth said, passing a glance to Mayura. She brought her hands upwards, pushing Chat Noir's chin upwards. He felt his tongue nearing the needle, and started to panic.

"I- oh- oo-" He said, trying to say 'I don't know' without stabbing his tongue.

"Oh dear, does Ladybug not trust you enough? I guess then you won't be able to answer _any_ questions we have for you." Hawkmoth stepped closer, and looked right into Chat Noir's fearful eyes. 

"Tell me, Chat Noir. How would you like a tongue piercing?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hawkmoth akumatises someone new, and Multimouse defeats them with ease.
> 
> Sabine tells the police about Chat Noir kidnapping Adrien, and they plan to keep quiet about it, due to Adrien's celebrity status.
> 
> Marinette pushes Lila.
> 
> The kwamis create a list of everyone who could possible be Hawkmoth.  
> The kwamis also plan to check on all the possible Hawkmoths at night, so Marinette should have the identitiy of Hawkmoth by the next morning.
> 
> Chat Noir slowly breaks down emotionally, believing the lies he is told by Hawkmoth and Mayura.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are 4 sections to this chapter. The first and third sections include depictions of torture, such as drowning, mentions of blood, and other stuff.
> 
> The second and third sections are torture-free, other than a teeny tiny mention of blood in the last section.
> 
> There will be a brief summary at the end of the chapter.

Chat Noir squirmed against Mayura's firm grip, leaning back away from Hawkmoth.

Mayura let go of his chin, and opened his mouth as far as possible. Hawkmoth reached in and pulled the device out of his mouth. He snapped the needle off and held it in his finger, waving it in front of Chat Noir's face.

Chat Noir leaned even further back, trying to avoid it.

Mayura opened his mouth wider, giving Hawkmoth full access. Hawkmoth reached in and pulled on Chat Noir's tongue. He ran the needle over it, trying to find the spot where the needle had already broken through the top. He found it, and poked it with the sharp tip of the needle.

"Oh yes, Mayura. This will be a very good _spot of pain_!" Hawkmoth said. Mayura laughed. Chat Noir didn't get the joke, so assumed it was just a pun.

Chat Noir squirmed desperately, his tongue tensing in an attempt to stop the needle.

"Stop squirming." Hawkmoth said, pulling the tongue further out of his mouth. "Or do you want more than one piercing? That can be arranged if you want."

Chat Noir shook his head.

"Then you need to stay _still_." Hawkmoth said. Chat Noir nodded, and shut his eyes and Hawkmoth pressed the needle into the little hole that had formed.

His tongue was screaming as he tasted blood and metal, but he forced his head to stay still, and his tongue to remain limp.

...

Marinette and Lila were sitting on the sofa, watching the news on the television. Tom and Sabine were asleep in their bedroom. They had told the girls that they would prefer it if they didn't watch the news for the time being, as it may present untrue ideas about Adrien. That was understandable.

_"I agree, Monsieur and Madame Dupain-Cheng. I do not want to watch the news, and Marinette doesn't either, right?" Lila had said, turning to Marinette._

_"I- uh, yeah!" Marinette said, just going with it. Tom and Sabine nodded, and had left the room to go and sleep._

_"Just to be clear, we_ are _watching the news, right?" Marinette asked Lila._

_"Of course we are! We need to see what happens." Lila replied._

And that's how they had gotten to watching the news together in secret. Marinette put a rolling pin on the table. Although she knew Chat Noir had not kidnapped Adrien, someone might have, and the kidnapper might want to take another of them.

"Yeah, sure, Marinette. You're totally going to take down Chat Noir with that rolling pin." Lila whispered.

"Well it's better than your defence, which is _nothing_." Marinette paused. "You think Chat Noir kidnapped Adrien?"

"Of course I do! That's what happened, who else could jump out of window this high? Wait, don't you think Chat Noir kidnapped Adrien?" Lila asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yeah, I do but-" Marinette said. 

A small thump came from upstairs, in Marinette's bedroom. Marinette knew what it was, but Lila did not.

Marinette picked up the rolling pin, which she had no intention of using. She climbed up the stairs as Lila turned off the television. Marinette went into her room, and found one of her books on the floor. She had told the kwamis to drop the book on the floor, to be a sort of signal, when they went out to look for Hawkmoth after they had organised themselves. 

Marinette climbed back down the ladder. "My book fell off the table. No big deal." She whispered to Lila. Lila nodded and switched the television back on, just as the news intro started playing. Lila turned on subtitles as Marinette sat next to her on the sofa.

"Don't be bemused, it's just the news!" Nadja Chamack said. "We have recieved confirmation from the police that someone has indeed gone missing. The police would not tell us who the person is, but it is rumoured to be the same person Chat Noir kidnapped."

The screen flashed to images of Chat Noir.

"People are being urged to report any sighting of him. Some people have called in to ask us some questions, or perhaps give us some new information. Here is our first caller, Alya Cesaire, also known as the Ladyblogger."

The screen changed, showing Alya in her bed, clearly under the covers.

"Hi, Nadja. About what you said earlier, the police told me who had gone missing, and I can confirm that they are the same person."

"Interesting. Can you tell us who this person is?"

"Um, no."

"Okay, do you have any questions, or anything else you would like to share?"

"I have a question, about Chat Noir. Now that we know he's not a superhero, what is he? Like is he a criminal?"

"We currently do not know what he is officially being classified as, but he is definitely a criminal, among both civilians and police." Nadja said, looking at her ipad. "Ah, we have a new caller. Goodbye, Alya, and thank you."

Alya nodded and disconnected.

The next caller was not someone the girls knew. He connected, and waved, smiling tightly.

"Hi, sir. Would you like to share some information about the Chat Noir situation, or do you have a question?"

"I have a few questions." He said. "Ladybug and Chat Noir have been a team all this time. Did Ladybug already know Chat Noir was planning this, or was she surprised about it too? And is she on our side, or joining Chat Noir? And is Chat Noir with Hawkmoth? I'm just really confused about this all."

"There has been a short video released by several civilians. It features Ladybug telling Paris as a whole that she will still be on our side, and was shocked by what Chat Noir did. We do not know if Chat Noir is with Hawkmoth, so we shouldn't assume anything. Shall I quickly go through what happened, you said you were confused..."

"Uh, yes, please." The caller said, clearly a bit embarrassed.

"Okay. The first thing that happened was a letter, supposedly written by Hawkmoth, directed at Ladybug. You can see this on the Ladyblog, it was posted on early Wednesday morning. A picture of vandalism was also posted. There was a message written on it, by Chat Noir, directed at Ladybug. Then, someone was reported missing. This person is strongly believed to be kidnapped by Chat Noir." Nadja explained. Photos came up in the corner of the screen, of the letter and graffiti message.

"Another graffiti message was produced on the ground below the Eiffel Tower. Also written by Chat Noir, directed and Ladybug." Nadja said.

"What?" Marinette and Lila said in unison. They had not heard of that before.

Lila took out her phone and went onto the Ladyblog, seeing a new post, with a caption and picture. It was posted a few hours ago.

Lila clicked on the post, and the picture came in full screen, the caption at the bottom of her phone. She read the caption.

'Chat Noir has written another message to Hawkmoth. I believe it was written around the time Ladybug was fighting Tree Jumper.'

The picture showed a message written in spray paint.

'You're being quite slow, Bugaboo. Every moment you waste will be another spot of pain.'

Marinette clenched her jaw.

"Chat Noir's torturing Adrien!" Lila burst, struggling to keep her voice down.

Then the girls heard a pair of footsteps in the corridor, approaching fast. The girls moved faster.

Lila switched off the television and Marinette ran up the stairs, opening the trapdoor for her and Lila to get in. She shut it, and the girls quietly listened. The footsteps came up the stairs and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Lila said, in a fake tired voice.

"Lila! Marinette! Why are you still awake? And what did you say about Chat Noir?"

"Oh, that was me, sorry, Madame Dupain-Cheng. I had a nightmare and-" 

Sabine gave Lila a warm hug. "You don't need to be sorry, or scared, Marinette is here with you! Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen, to you, Marinette, Adrien, or anyone."

Lila gave a fake sniff and smiled at Sabine.

"Thank you, everyone is so nice here!" Lila said.

"Oh, thank you! Will you be able to go back to sleep?"

"Yes, I will, thank you. And if I get scared again, Marinette will help me, right?"

"Uh- yeah, yes." Marinette said.

"Brilliant! I can tell you girls are such great friends!" Sabine said, as she left the room and shut the trapdoor behind her. 

The girls listened until she had gone back to sleep, and then looked at each other.

"Well?" Lila asked.

"What?" 

"Aren't you going to thank me?"

"Sure. Thank you, Lila, for almost getting us caught. But I guess getting us out sort of redeems that..."

Lila sighed. She looked up, and saw Marinette's window was wide open. She pointed to it.

"That was closed when we went into the living room. Why is it open now?"

Marinette knew that was the window the kwamis had used to bring the papers outside, as they couldn't bring paper though the window.

"I opened it." Marinette said simply.

"What? When?"

"Does it matter? I opened it when I came upstairs when my book fell." Marinette said, keeping her face calm.

"Yes, it does matter! I thought that was Chat Noir or someone, here to kidnap me!"

"Kidnap you? What about me?"

"What would someone ever want you for?" Lila laughed.

"I could ask you the same." Marinette threw back.

"Are we going to sleep? Or just sit here arguing like children?" Lila asked.

"You started it." Marinette muttered, covering herself with her blanket.

"Sure I did." Lila said, yawning visibly to annoy Marinette.

Marinette yawned back.

Lila turned on her side and closed her eyes.

Marinette did the same, but wasn't sure if she would be able to sleep at all. She lay awake for at least another hour, hearing Lila fall asleep.

Marinette drifted off herself a while later, so she didn't hear his cry for help.

"Ladybug!" Chat Noir's voice called from outside.

...

Chat Noir's eyes watered as Hawkmoth continued to press the needle into his tongue slowly. He felt the needle slide through his tongue agonizingly, and he wished he could just get it over and done with.

At last, he felt the needle come out the other side. The blood squirted against his teeth. He whined as Hawkmoth took the needle out, allowing him to feel the hole through the middle of his tongue.

Hawkmoth walked away, taking something from the table. He came back after a few moments, with a mirror.

Hawkmoth pulled on Chat Noir's tongue again, and pressed his pinkie into the bottom of the hole in his tongue.

Chat Noir could do nothing but scream as the tiny hole in his tongue was forced to rip and tear, expanding to the size of Hawkmoth's pinkie. 

Hawkmoth pushed his finger all the way through, and then pulled it out, dripping with blood. He poked his finger on Chat Noir's skin, leaving 10 red dots behind.

He then took Chat Noir's tongue and held it out. Hawkmoth took the mirror and angled it so that Chat Noir could see his tongue in the reflection.

Chat Noir started to feel dizzy as he saw the hole Hawkmoth had left in his tongue. He could even see what was _beneath_ his tongue, too. And the blood, there was blood dripping out of the hold, and some onto his lips. 

"Do you like it, kitten?" Hawkmoth said, a pleased expression on his face. "I like it so much, I think I'll just leave it like that for a bit."

Mayura let go of Chat Noir's mouth, and saw him close it and spit out some blood.

Hawkmoth glanced at Chat Noir's right arm, which wasn't dislocated.

"Aww, did Ladybug fix this for you? Maybe we should do something a bit more damaging, then." Hawkmoth said, picking up Chat Noir's left arm.

Mayura took the arm and held it horizontally, feeling it shaking with the horrible anticipation of what was to come.

Hawkmoth picked up his cane, and pressed it against Chat Noir's neck.

"Close your eyes. I want this to be a complete surprise." Hawkmoth said.

Chat Noir looked to his right, where the giant window was only a few steps away. Outside, it was very dark, and looked like it was raining too. He took a deep breath and mustered up all the energy he had left. He counted down.

3

2

1

He ran, just as Hawkmoth was about to bring the cane down on his arm.

"Cataclysm!" He called.

He smashed his hand down right in the middle of the window, but his hand met nothing. The window had opened as he ran, and he flew outside, onto the ground. He rolled and made sure nothing touched his hand. He spat out some more blood onto the ground, and ran to the gate, and jumped through one of the gaps. His hand clipped the metal, and the gate crumbled into dust. He heard Hawkmoth and Mayura following him.

He had 5 minutes left. He could totally do this, right?

He reached for his baton, and remembered he didn't have it, so he wouldn't be able to call Ladybug. He ran forward on his hands and feet in a random direction, then called out at the top of his lungs when he got a good way away from Hawkmoth and Mayura. Or, he thought he got a good way away from Hawkmoth and Mayura.

"Ladybug!" He cried, his voice raw. He looked around and saw the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Marinette was there, she could- no. He shouldn't put anyone else in danger.

He ran towards the park and hid beneath one of the buildings.

"Claws In." Chat Noir said.

Plagg flew out and rested on Adrien's chest. Adrien brought out some cheese from his jacket, and put some cheese on his shirt. Plagg took some and ate it, while Adrien watched.

"You should eat, Adrien." Plagg whispered.

Adrien shook his head, and spat out some blood into a tissue.

"Open your mouth, let me see." Plagg said, flying with his regained energy.

Adrien opened his mouth and stuck out is tongue, flinching as the bitter cold embraced his tongue. Plagg frowned, as he looked at the hole in his tongue. It had healed a bit while he was Chat Noir, but was just hurting Adrien right now.

Plagg finished his wedge of cheese, and picked up another. He broke of a small piece, and put it in Adrien's mouth, putting it behind the hole.

Adrien closed his mouth and swallowed. Plagg gave him some more, and soon Adrien had finished the second wedge of cheese.

Plagg lay down on Adrien's chest, silently comforting him with is presence, as Adrien did the same to him.

"Everything they said about you was a lie, you know who you are, Ladybug does and-"

"But she gave me to them, that's what they said. She doesn't want me. Nobody does."

"Ladybug does want you, and so do I. That rubbish they said about you was wrong."

"But I am useless and worthless and everything else they said. I wet myself!"

"Yeah, after having three massive bottles of water. And you held it for a long time, too. Who else can do that?"

"Ladybug could have."

Plagg felt Adrien tense as they heard movement closeby.

"We can hear you!" Mayura called.

"Ladybug could do so much better, couldn't she?" Hawkmoth said.

"Of course she could!" Mayura replied, her voice uneven from laughing.

Plagg and Adrien's eyes met. Plagg nodded encouragingly to him.

"Claws Out!" He whispered. But the bright green light gave away his location.

Chat Noir took the baton on his back and extended it, vaulting himself up onto the roof. He ran along the rooftops, trying to get some distance between himself and the villains, but they were approaching fast.

He heard Mayura jump towards him, and he dodged, almost slipping on the rain. His cat eyes allowed him to see in the dark, but the rain still fogged his vision.

He stumbled forward, jumping over chimneys, hearing them closing the distance between them.

He extended his baton and flew forward, trying to ignore the footsteps behind him. He kept running, but slowed down as the little energy he had sapped out of him way to fast.

He risked a glance behind him, and saw Hawkmoth a few steps behind him. He didn't see Mayura run past him.

He faced forward again, and his heart stopped when he say Mayura right in front of him. She wrapped her arms around him.

Chat Noir struggled, and saw her broach. He reached to grab it, when she jumped back. Chat Noir stumbled and fell off the roof.

Hawkmoth reached and grabbed Chat Noir's leg and pulled him onto the roof. Mayura came forward and grabbed Chat Noir's left arm, holding it out for Hawkmoth.

Hawkmoth brought his cane upwards.

Chat Noir squirmed away, and felt Hawkmoth laugh.

There was nothing but the sound of the rain hitting the roof for a moment, then a crack and a scream, as Hawkmoth smashed his cane on Chat Noir's arm. White hot agony flashed through his arm, and all over his body. Chat Noir's arm was released, and he rolled over and tried to protect himself from further harm.

Mayura kicked his side, and he rolled off the roof, and into the road. His back hit the road, but didn't hurt nearly as much as his arm did.

Hawkmoth and Mayura jumped down, and produced a single plastic rope. Chat Noir tried to crawl away, knowing wat they were going to do with the rope. But crawling away on three limbs was not a fast, or easy, process.

Chat Noir's body quickly collapsed with the lack of energy he had, and he was out of breath. Mayura walked over and grabbed his left hand.

"No, no, no, no..." He muttered as he tried kicking.

Hawkmoth simply pushed his feet away as he came forward with the rope. He brought his hand to the broken bone in Chat Noir's arm. He felt around, grinning as he could _feel_ the large crack in the bone.

Hawkmoth angled the rope very precisely, so it would press into the exact point the bone broke, prolonging Chat Noir's pain, and the healing. Hawkmoth tied the rope in several loops and tightened it, until it was pushing on the broken pieces of the bone.

Chat Noir whimpered as Hawkmoth picked him up by a dangling bit of the rope.

Hawkmoth whispered something to Mayura, and Chat Noir could make out most of what they were saying.

"Mayura… not go back... tidy up... new place." Hawkmoth said.

"Yes... where?" Mayura said.

"I think... like to hear... screaming. I'll take... morning." Hawkmoth said.

Chat Noir curled up. His escape attempt had failed. He would never be able to get away from them without Ladybug's help. Wait... last time he couldn't call Ladybug because he didn't have his baton...

Chat Noir's right hand moved to his lower back, and he felt his baton. Hope flooded through him.

"Ah, thought you could hide this from me?" Hawkmoth said, picking up his right hand. Chat Noir fell onto his stomach and grunted.

Mayura passed Hawkmoth a glove, and Hawkmoth slipped it onto the hand.

"Good luck using your cataclysm now." Hawkmoth said, pulling up on the rope, forcing Chat Noir to stand.

But Chat Noir was completely drained, running on nothing but a small wedge of cheese and Plagg's energy.

He moved his legs, trying to stop them shaking.

"He can't even walk now!" Mayura said.

"Good." Hawkmoth said. He nodded to Mayura, and she ran off, presumable tidying the room they'd been in, to put the public off their track.

"Looks like it's going to be just you and me, kitten. We're going to have lots of fun, aren't we?"

Chat Noir rested his head on the ground, still trying to catch his breath.

Hawkmoth moved Chat Noir's left arm onto the ground, and then put his left foot on the rope.

"We are going to have fun, aren't we?" Hawkmoth said innocently.

Chat Noir shook his head, he didn't like Hawkmoth's idea of 'fun'.

Hawkmoth leaned forward onto his left foot, putting pressure on the broken bone. Chat Noir gasped and tried to escape.

"Are we going to have fun?" Hawkmoth repeated.

"Yes!" Chat Noir breathed out, desperate to free his arm.

"Good." Hawkmoth placed his foot back onto the ground, and picked up Chat Noir, noting how he put up little resistance, in comparison to what he used to.

"It looks like you've finally been tamed, kitten." Hawkmoth smirked at Chat Noir, who was silently crying in his arms. Hawkmoth carried him to the Siene, and stood on the end of one of the bridges.

"Hold your breath!" Hawkmoth said, as he dropped Chat Noir into the river. Hawkmoth held onto the rope, so Chat Noir wouldn't drown.

Chat Noir panicked and breathed in as the cold water hit his body. He started choking, flapping his right arm around, while his left arm pulsed and throbbed with every movement. The straps on his elbows didn't help.

Chat Noir pushed his head above the surface of the water, and spat out a mixture of blood and water.

Hawkmoth pulled up on the rope, seeing Chat Noir's body raise out of the water, his left arm swelling beneath the ropes. When Chat Noir's breathing slowed down a bit, Hawkmoth dropped him back into the water, seeing him splutter and kick again.

…

Marinette woke up to Tikki patting her face desperately.

"Tikki? What's going on?"

"The kwamis have come back."

Marinette sat up, and looked out of the window, seeing the sun still rising. She checked on Lila, who was still asleep.

"Where are they? Oh, here they are." Marinette whispered, turning onto her left side.

"None of us found the identity of Hawkmoth, but we know where he has been." Kaalki said.

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked, completely confused.

"Like you said, Gabriel Agreste was not in the Agreste mansion, but we think Hawkmoth may have been using it." Longg said.

"Using it... how?"

"We just _think_ that Chat Noir was being held in that area by Hawkmoth, and escaped by destroying the gate." Wayzz said.

"I think I better check." Marinette said.

She stood up and went onto her balcony. She crouched down and transformed.

Ladybug zipped down the streets on her yoyo, and landed in front of the Agreste mansion. A number of journalists were there with camera people, including Alya, with Nino as her camera man.

Ladybug walked through and stood in front of where the gate used to be. She bent down and ran her fingers through the brownish black dust on the floor.

"That's because of Chat Noir's cataclysm, right?" Alya asked.

"Yes, but-" Ladybug struggled to make herself heard over the growing crowd and talking journalists.

She walked onto the stones in front of the steps and door, and looked around, hoping to see footprints, or something that would help her.

Her eyes spotted a glimmer of dark red on a few pebbles just in front of the steps. She picked them up, and assumed it was blood. She looked around, and picked up all the pebbles that had any sign of red on them. 

Ladybug opened her yoyo, and tipped in the pebbles. She looked around, but found nothing else.

Ladybug threw her yoyo towards the bakery, and flew forward after it. If the blood was not Chat Noir's, it could possibly be Hawkmoth's or Mayura's, and working out their identities could help a lot.

Ladybug landed on her balcony, and detransformed. She felt extra weight in her pyjama bottoms, and reached into her pockets, feeling the bloodied pebbles. She pulled them out and put them on the table.

"Does the yoyo have some sort of blood-recognising feature?" Marinette asked.

"I don't think so, but the Lucky Charm might be able to give you one."

Okay, Tikki, Spot-" Marinette started.

"Wait! It might show you Chat Noir's secret identity. Let me get one of the other kwamis." Tikki said, flying into the building. She came back a few moments later with Wayzz.

Marinette nodded. "Tikki, Spots On!"

Ladybug called on her Lucky Charm, and a small hand-held device fell into her hands. She scanned it over the pebbles, and heard it beep. Wayzz read the name that came up.

"Yes, Ladybug. That is Chat Noir's blood." Wayzz said.

Ladybug detransformed, and caught Tikki in her hand.

Tikki looked at the pebbles and frowned.

"Do you have Chat Noir's baton?" She asked.

Marinette's eyes widened. She ran back into her room and looked beneath the covers, not finding the baton anywhere.

"Maybe he retransformed?" Marinette said, her voice unsteady with worry.

"Maybe, then we would be able to track him..." Tikki said.

Marinette nodded, then heard shuffling behind her. Lila was waking up.

"Oh, hey Marinette." Lila said as she yawned. "Do you think they've updated the Ladyblog?" 

"Maybe..." Marinette slid down the ladder and opened the Ladyblog on her computer.

Alya had updated it. Marinette clicked on it, and opened the video that came up. The screen changed to Alya pointing at the dust.

"This is what remains of the gate that stood in front of the Agreste mansion. Ladybug has confirmed it was destroyed by Chat Noir's cataclysm and-" Alya on the video got interrupted by Marinette's phone buzzing.

Marinette tapped the 'call' button, and Alya's face popped up.

"Hey girl! Have you seen th-"

"We're looking at it now Alya." Marinette said.

"Okay. I'm pretty sure that this has got to do Chat Noir kidnapping Adrien. I think it's another message to Ladybug, telling her to hurry up." Alya said.

"Wait, another?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah, remember the message beneath the Eiffel Tower? We saw it yesterday at night." Lila said.

"Oh." Marinette said.

"Yeah, the spot of pain thing. If he ever shows his face in public again, I am so going to punch it!" Alya said.

"Me too!" Lila cheered.

Lila and Alya looked at Marinette, who was silent.

"Hey, girl, are you okay- wait, are you still in your PJs? We have school in like half an hour!" Alya said, seeing Marinette's pyjamas.

"School? No we don't! It's Wednesday today!" Marinette forced a laugh.

"Yesterday was Wednesday, Marinette! I told you when we woke up a while ago!" Lila said.

"What? No you didn't! And you're still in your pajamas!" Marinette said.

"No I'm not, look!" Lila gestured to her body, which was fully dressed and ready for school.

"What? How did you-" Marinette started.

"Marinette, I think you should get ready if you want to get to school on time. Don't worry, I'll talk to Alya for you." Lila said.

"Great idea, Lila!" Alya said. Lila tossed a triumphant glance at Marinette.

Marinette muttered to herself, frustrated at Lila. But, she had much more important things to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir launches a successful-ish escape attempt, but gets recaptured. In his escape, he used his cataclysm to destroy the gate. He detransforms (so Marinette no longer has his baton), chats with Plagg, and retransforms. When he is recaptured, he has his baton.
> 
> The kwamis do not know the identity of Hawkmoth, but know Chat Noir was being held in the Agreste mansion. Ladybug goes to check. She knows Chat Noir was there, and plans to track him using the tracking feature on her yoyo.
> 
> Hawkmoth leaves another message for Ladybug (that includes a mention of torture). Paris thinks it was written by Chat Noir, threatening Ladybug.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has 7 sections. The second, fifth and seventh sections include depictions of torture, involving blood, tickling, electrocution and blade stuff.
> 
> The first, third, fourth and sixth are torture-free.
> 
> There will be a brief summary at the end of the chapter.

Marinette changed quickly and joined Lila eating breakfast. Marinette chomped it down, eager to be done.

"You're in a rush. Oh, is it because you don't want me to be late?" Lila asked.

"No, I want you to be late. I just have way more important stuff to worry about." Marinette said.

"I have no idea what you just said, maybe you should try talking when your mouth is empty, rather than full." Lila said.

Marinette rolled her eyes, as Lila narrowed hers. Lila reached forward and took her glass of water, and spilt some on herself.

"Marinette! How could you?" Lila cried.

Sabine ran over. "Girls! What happened?"

"Marinette spilt some of my water on me!"

Sabine looked at Marinette. "That wasn't very nice of you, Marinette. I think you should apologise to Lila."

"What? Why should I? She's lying!"

"What, so I just spilt the water on myself? Why would I do that?"

"To frame me, again! Don't you remember that lying disorder Lila has?" Marinette turned to Sabine.

"We shouldn't be rude to people, especially if it is about something that can't be helped. And Lila clearly has proof. This is where you step up and take responsibility for you actions, Marinette."

"Fine. I'm sorry, Lila." Marinette said through gritted teeth.

Sabine nodded and went back to cooking. Lila smirked at Marinette and stood up to put her plate away. Lila then went upstairs to change into dry clothes. Marinette finished her food soon after, and slipped her backpack onto her back. Tom took her plate to wash and put away.

"Come on, Lila! Hurry up, I ate fast so that you wouldn't be late!" Marinette called into her bedroom.

"I have to change because you spilt water on me. This isn't my fault." Lila called back.

Lila came down the stairs a few moments later, looking suspiciously happy. She and Marinette left the building and walked across the street to the school.

"Did you remember to do your homework, Marinette?"

"Yes, I did. You saw me doing it! Did you do your homework, Lila?" Marinette didn't see where Lila was going with the conversation.

"Maybe." Lila sped up and left Marinette behind.

Marinette ran after her. "What do you mean, maybe? Did you do something?"

Lila shrugged. "Maybe."

…

"Do you remember this room? You were held as a prisoner here before, weren't you? Copycat had you chained right here." Hawkmoth gestured to the area with his free hand.

The other was gripped tightly around Chat Noir's broken arm.

"I'm going to chain you here, but not to the floor. I'm going to chain you to the ceiling, and you're going to be dangling on the chain by your arm." Hawkmoth held up the broken arm. "That'll be fun, won't it?"

"Yes."

"Oh, well done!" Hawkmoth snickered.

Chat Noir whined as Hawkmoth untied the rope on his arm and let it drop to the floor.

They heard a set of footsteps on the roof. Chat Noir hoped it was Ladybug. He looked up through the skylight, and saw Mayura run across it quietly. She slipped into the studio through an open window, which she shut as soon as she came in.

Mayura had a large box in her hands. She opened it, took out a set of chains, and passed them to Hawkmoth as she got closer.

Hawkmoth took the chains and wrapped them tightly around the swollen arm. Chat Noir whimpered as Hawkmoth pulled on the chains, dragging Chat Noir with him.

Hawkmoth jumped and grabbed onto one of the metal bars in the ceiling. He balanced on it and tied the chains around the pole, leaving Chat Noir dangling on his broken arm a little bit of the ground.

Chat Noir would have tried to claw at the chains with his free hand, but he had barely any energy left, and it was taking all that he had not to scream at the pain from his arm.

Hawkmoth jumped down, and stood up. Now that Chat Noir was dangling from the ceiling, they were roughly the same height, and Hawkmoth could look Chat Noir right in the eyes.

Mayura slipped on a thick pair of rubbery gloves. Hawkmoth already had a pair on. She opened the box again, and took out a sharp dagger, and a burning hot coal. The coal didn't hurt her hands, as the gloves protected her.

She passed the dagger to Hawkmoth, and handed the hot coal over to him next. He pressed the blade of the dagger into it, feeling it slowly heat up.

Mayura now had both her hands free. She stood in front of Chat Noir, who was still dangling from his arm. She snapped her fingers, and her gloved hands became shiny, as if they now had a magic quality.

She poked his stomach, and Chat Noir squirmed away, laughing.

"Oh, do you like tickles?" She asked him.

She brought both her hands to his stomach and started to tickle him all over, ignoring is flailing feet.

Chat Noir laughed helplessly until he was breathless, and tears were forming in his eyes from the overstimulation. He gasped, and suddenly felt Mayura stop. He caught his breath, and looked down at her.

She snapped her fingers, and her hands lost their shininess. She brought her forefinger and thumb close together, and electricity passed though them in a tiny line of lightning. She grinned up at him, and poked his cheek.

Chat Noir froze for a moment as all his muscles contracted for the briefest second, petrifying him as the electricity zapped through him. He felt his broken arm tense up, and he released a small whimper. He hoped she didn't hear, but she did.

"Did that hurt your arm? Shall I do it again?" Mayura asked.

Chat Noir shook his head desperately.

"Well, then it's too bad that you don't have a choice!" Mayura smirked.

She reached up and wrapped one of her hands fully around his broken arm, and raised her eyebrows as he screamed and kicked, his eyes shut tight.

She released his arm, and he opened his mouth to speak.

"Please... no... more..."

"What did I say a few moments ago?" Mayura asked, threateningly bringing her closer to his arm again.

Chat Noir whimpered, trying to remember what she said.

"You said... I... don't... have... a choice..."

"Exactly! So, am I going to stop?"

"No..."

Mayura smirked, as did Hawkmoth. She quickly wrapped her hand around his broken arm again and squeezed, hearing him scream in response.

She let go, and stepped back, unintentionally giving Chat Noir a few moments to recover from the shock.

"Next game, kitten! Hawkmoth asks a question, you answer. If you refuse, or don't know, you get a whisker drawn onto your skin with this dagger, which has been heating up. If you get six whiskers- well, I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."

She turned to Hawkmoth.

"Make sure you draw blood."

…

Marinette walked into school and sat down next to Alya. She and Lila had got in just on time, and Miss Bustier was collecting homework.

Marinette opened her bag and reached in to get her homework, but it wasn't in the bag. Her eyes widened as she looked a few rows behind her to Lila, who was handing in a sheet.

The sheet had pink writing on it, and a crease going through the middle, exactly like Marinette's homework. Miss Bustier took in the sheet.

"Marinette, Alya, do you have your homework?" She asked.

"Yes, here it is!" Alya passed a sheet to her.

"Marinette, what about you?" Miss Bustier said.

"It's there, the one with the pink ink, I wrote my name on it!" Marinette said.

Miss Bustier, confused, put the small pile of paper she had on the table, and leafed through them. Near the bottom, she saw Marinette's homework.

"Yes! That's it!"

"No, Marinette. This is Lila's homework, she put her name on it, here." Miss Bustier pointed to where Marinette's name used to be written. In it's place, Lila's name was written instead.

"What? But- I did it, this is mine! Lila must have taken mine by accident, and put her name on it." Marinette said, although she knew what Lila did was not an accident.

"Oh, Miss Bustier, I found Marinette's homework in my bag!" Lila said, taking another sheet out of her bag.

"Yes! Yes! That's it!" Marinette cried, falling into Lila's trap.

Miss Bustier took the sheet from Lila and looked at it, a shocked expression on her face.

"Marinette, this is just- very inappropriate. Could you really not put in any more effort?"

"What?" Marinette ran up and looked at the sheet. It was creased and torn at the edges, and had doodles all over it. "That's not mine!"

"But it has your name on it, and you said it was yours." Lila said.

"I assumed it was mine because that's what you said! You did this to me, again!"

"Come on, Marinette. Last time I did something... similar, it was my disorder playing up. This time I have even more proof, so I'm sorry, but there's no way you can deny it." Lila said.

The classroom door slammed open as Chloe walked in, followed by Sabrina.

"Girls, where were you, and why were you late?" Miss Bustier asked.

"Ugh, please don't talk to me right now, I'm suffering..."

"Suffering from what?" Marinette scoffed. She turned back to the teacher. "But really miss, Lila is lying!" Marinette's mind flashed back to how Adrien had defended her before. "Adrien, you believe me, right?"

The class went silent. They all believed Adrien had been kidnapped by Chat Noir, and Marinette had completely forgotten.

"Oh, no, no! I'm so sor-"

"How dare you!" Chloe sniffed.

Miss Bustier really had no idea what to do. What was a teacher supposed to do when a student accidentally brings up a classmate who had been kidnapped by a supervillain?

"Um, Marinette, please go to the Principal's office-"

"But Miss, it was an accident! I didn't mea-"

"I'm sorry Marinette, but the accusations to Lila, the disruption, the homework..."

Marinette dropped her head, knowing she wouldn't be able to get out of this. She took her bag and left the room, having no clue what to do. The door closed behind her.

Miss Bustier sighed and handed the sheet to Lila.

"Can you quickly go and give Marinette her homework. Please tell her to redo it as soon as possible."

"Of course, Miss Bustier." Lila stood up and left the room. She ran up to Marinette. "You need to redo your homework. Maybe next time, yo-"

"Why did you do this?" Marinette asked her, her voice wobbling ever so slightly.

"I think you need to understand who's in charge here, Marinette. This is nothing, and you can have so much more trouble coming your way." Lila said.

"For what? What did I ever do?"

"That doesn't matter. What matters, is that you understand that I'm not joking around anymore. My job was simply to prevent any trouble coming to Adrien, and right now, some cat-themed supervillain is holding him hostage, and I'm quite sure you have something to do with it." Lila said.

Marinette stood there, completely shocked.

"What? You think I did this to him?"

"Maybe, and I want the truth out of you. You have had an obsession with him for a long time, and you may have struck up a deal with Chat Noir, telling him to kidnap Adrien, possibly to keep him away from me, or just get me into trouble."

"Not everything is about you, Lila. I'll have you know that I had nothing to do with Adrien's disappearance-"

"Because you got Chat Noir to do your dirty work!"

"No, I didn't! I was happy Adrien was staying with me, and I would never want to make him upset or put him in danger, even if it was to keep him away from people like you."

"Then why have you not helped look for him?" Lila asked.

"If Chat Noir took him, they wouldn't just be chilling up in the Eiffel Tower, would they? No! They would be somewhere hidden, where no one expect! Looking for them is only going to put Adrien in more danger if Chat Noir knows we're onto him!" Marinette almost yelled at her.

…

"Uh, Miss Bustier, I think they're arguing..." Alya said, looking out the window.

Miss Bustier sighed. "Alya, can you try and calm them down."

Alya left the classroom, and heard what they were saying. Lila and Marinette were facing each other, and had such anger in their eyes that they didn't notice her.

"Girls, settle down! What are you talking about?"

"Lila's saying I helped Chat Noir kidnap Adrien!"

"I have proof!"

"You were staying at my house with me, so all proof that points to me also points to you!"

Lila's eyes flashed panic as she defended herself. "Fingerprints! I found your fingerprints on the window that was open the next morning!"

"It's my window, of course my fingerprints are on it! That proves nothing!"

"That's kind of true, Lila. You can't blame Marinette for having her own fingerprints on her own window." Alya said, stepping in between the girls.

"You're right, Alya. I'm really sorry Marinette. Do you forg-"

"No, I don't forgive you! Put those sad eyes away, Lila!"

Lila sniffed and buried her face in her hands, loudly fake crying. Alya rushed to Lila's side and glared at Marinette.

"Marinette, how could you? You know about Lila's disorder, sometimes she can't control the things she says-"

"That's complete nonsense!" Marinette cried. "She's not even really crying!"

Alya looked at Lila. Lila spat onto her hands and rubbed the saliva around her eyes, making it look as if she'd been crying. Lila looked up.

"Marinette! You can clearly see the tears!" Alya said.

"What's going on out here?" Mr Damocles walked out of his office.

"Uh, Lila just wanted to give Marinette her homework. Miss Bustier thought she hadn't done it, so sent her here. Lila found Marinette's homework in her bag, so rushed out to give it to her. Miss Bustier asked me to bring them back." Alya quickly said.

"Yes, Mr Damocles. We are very sorry if we caused a disruption. Right, Marinette?" Lila looked at Marinette.

"Yes." She said monotonously.

Mr Damocles eyed them suspiciously, leaning forward. After a few moments, he leaned back, and turned around.

"You may go. But please do not speak so loudly in the hallways." He said, returning to his office. He closed the door behind him, and the girls sighed in relief.

"Thanks so much, Alya! You really saved us!"

"It was no problem, Lila! Come on, back to class. Um, Marinette, you should come too." Alya said, leading them back into the classroom.

Lila smirked at Marinette. Of course, she could easily get Marinette into more trouble, but she thought she'd made her point about how she was in charge.

Marinette glared at Lila from behind, following her into the classroom. Her eyes wandered to Nino, who was now sitting next to an empty seat, rather than Adrien. Her heart dropped as she realised how upset and awkward she made the class after mentioning him.

"Uh, Miss Bustier? I'm really, really sorry about what I said, and how I acted."

"It's okay, Marinette. I also understand that Adrien's... disappearance would have had a different impact on you and Lila, as you were staying with him the same night he... disappeared. Alya told me you may be a bit upset and on edge about it. So, I decided to partner you and Lila together for our first activity. The rest of the class has already gotten into pairs, so please take a seat next to Lila."

"What? No!" Marinette whispered under her breath.

She stomped over to Lila's seat, her mind coming up with ways to excuse herself from the lesson, so she could find Chat Noir. She was so close now, and didn't want to waste a moment, but if she left school, her parents would be called, and it would all spiral out of control, with them constantly watching her. If that happened, she would never be able to save him.

"Lila?" Marinette whispered to Lila, making sure nobody else heard. She wanted to have a private quiet chat with her, and didn't want anyone getting in the way.

"Yes, Marinette?" Lila said, loudly.

"Marinette, what is it?" Miss Bustier said, looking at her.

"Oh, I was just going to tell Lila that we were partners in case she didn't know."

"That's okay, but please do not interrupt the lesson again." Miss Bustier said. She went on to teaching, but Marinette wasn't paying attention at all.

When the end of the lesson came, Marinette seized the opportunity and got outside as fast as she could. She ran into the bakery and went up into her room, trying to be as discrete as possible, when Sabine caught her.

"Marinette! Lila told me about how you got into trouble at school, causing disruptions and not putting effort into classwork or schoolwork. What's been going on recently, Marinette?" Sabine was genuinely worried about her daughter.

"How did she tell you? She's still at-"

"She texted me, Marinette."

"Since when did she have your number?"

"I gave it to her when she came over to stay a few days ago, and I gave her mine. I know all these things about Chat Noir and Adrien may be scary, but there are other people here too, if you want to talk." Sabine said.

"What? No, I mean, yes! I was just feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the stuff that's been happening lately." Marinette was partially telling the truth.

Sabine smiled at her. "That's okay, but we can get through it together. It's a good thing you're not watching the news, they often spin stories like this out of control!"

"Yeah..." Marinette said.

They came together and hugged.

"We'll get him back, don't you worry." Sabine said.

But Marinette did worry.

…

"Question one should be very easy for you. Does Ladybug love you?"

Chat Noir shrank down, still hanging from his arm. He looked down and shook his head, his eyes shut tight.

"What did we say about words, kitten?" Hawkmoth brought the dagger close to Chat Noir's skin, and he could feel the burning heat oozing off it.

"No."

"Well done! I think you deserve a nice, tight hug from Mayura as a reward." Hawkmoth said.

Mayura wrapped her arms around Chat Noir's chest, feeling his heart pounding quickly. She snapped her fingers, and her arms zapped him with electricity. It flowed through Chat Noir's body, tensing his exhausted muscles painfully.

She pulled away, and looked at Hawkmoth.

"Next, will Ladybug ever love you?" Hawkmoth said, bringing the hot blade close to Chat Noir's face. "You have to tell the truth."

"No."

"You're certainly getting the _hang_ of this, aren't you!" Hawkmoth reached up with his free hand and punched his broken arm. Chat Noir yelped in response. "Question four is about Paris. Do the people want you, or need you?"

"No."

"You are correct! The people of Paris do not need you, and they definitely don't want you... Next question. Does Ladybug need, or want, you?"

Chat Noir's mind flashed back to the times Marinette and Plagg and Tikki had told him Ladybug needed and wanted him. Ladybug herself had told him a few times, too.

"Yes?" Chat Noir's voice was raw, but the uncertainty he had in his answer was obvious.

"You don't seem very certain. Perhaps you would like to rethink your answer? Here's a clue: Ladybug has already defeated many akumas and amoks without your help, and she seemed very happy doing it without you. So, what's your answer?"

"No."

"That answer is correct, but you took too long answering. You get a whisker."

"No... no... please... no..."

"What did we say about you having a choice?" Mayura grasped Chat Noir's face and held him still as Hawkmoth brought the hot dagger closer to his face.

Hawkmoth pressed the blade into Chat Noir's skin just beside his nose and beneath the mask, hearing his skin sizzle as it burned. Chat Noir gasped and screamed and tried to punch Hawkmoth. But his attempts were feeble and Hawkmoth barely felt a thing.

He saw the blade pierce the skin, and red flow out from underneath. He drew the blade forcefully to the side of Chat Noir's face, forming a long, red, shriveled line across his face. Hawkmoth took the dagger away, and felt the heat radiating off Chat Noir's skin.

"One whisker, 5 more to go." Hawkmoth said, pleased.

Chat Noir barely registered his voice. His body was heating up from the pain and burning of his cheek and arm, and he was struggling to breathe. The tears streaming down his face touched the slit on his cheek, bringing on more waves of pain as blood seeped out.

...

Marinette went through the day constantly being in the company of someone else, often Lila. She had tried several times to excuse herself, but Lila would look at her, with an unspoken threat in her eyes.

So she had waited until night, when no one could get in her way and she could transform and get Chat Noir back.

"I'm going to go to sleep early tonight, don't want to be late for school tomorow!" Marinette said.

"That's okay. Goodnight, Marinette!" Tom said.

"Goodnight!" Sabine said.

"I'm going to go to sleep now too, goodnight!" Lila said, following Marinette up into her bedroom.

Marinette gritted her teeth.

Lila climbed into the bedroom and shut the trapdoor behind her.

"Wait, you're actually going to sleep? I thought we were watching the news on your computer."

"Well, you thought wrong."

Lila raised her eyebrows. "Oh. In that case, I could always tell your parents about how you cried yourself to sleep last night. I'm sure they would help you with your probl-"

"Fine! We'll watch the news, but only for a bit."

Lila walked over to Marinette's computer and turned it on. Marinette sat in her seat and went onto the live news webcast.

"Don't be bemused, it's just the news! As usual, we will be taking in callers' questions, and answering them..." Nadja said on the screen.

Marinette looked at Lila, who was taking out her phone and dialling the number that appeared on the screen.

"No, Lila, my parents might be watching the news!"

"They're watching something else." Lila said simply as she pressed the call button.

"Our first caller is Miss Lila Rossi. Hello, Lila! Do you have a question?"

"Yes, Nadja, I do. Thank you! I was wondering, couldn't someone else secretly be working with Chat Noir, without us knowing?" Lila looked intently into the camera on her phone.

Marinette rolled her eyes, knowing Lila was directing the question at her, both as Marinette and Ladybug.

"There is the possibility, but all the evidence so far points to Chat Noir working alone, rather than with someone, like Ladybug, or Hawkmoth." Nadja replied, both through the phone and the screen.

"Okay, thank you! I also have another question. If Chat Noir is found, what's going to happen to him?" Lila asked.

"We are not completely sure, but Ladybug is most likely going to take his miraculous away. He will go to prison for the crimes he has commited, such as vandalism, kidnapping, threats, and many others. This will be done as soon as possible." Nadja replied.

A question Marinette had been burning to ask flashed through her mind.

"Do you have any other questions?" Nadja asked.

"Oh, no-" Lila started.

Marinette quickly turned the phone so she was on the camera, rather than Lila.

"Um, yes. Let's say Chat Noir is found, but he's... injured, like dying or something... would he be treated?" Marinette asked, keeping her voice steady.

"A similar question was put forward to the Mayor of Paris earlier today. He said that, no matter what, Chat Noir is not to be treated, spoked to, or anything like that. This is because he is too dangerous, as he can use his power to destroy anything he touches."

"But what if he's dying! Or, he was framed, or something like that?"

"He would still be too dangerous, and we have no idea what he's capable of. A week ago, we never would have guessed that he would kidnap someone, and yet he has, and he has threatened Ladybug. And it is far too unlikely that he was framed."

"This is confusing me... so, you're saying that, even if he's on his deathbed, he is not going to have any medical attention?" Marinette said, aghast.

"That's right. If he goes to the hospital, the people there have been told to call the police directly to come and take him, with force if necessary. Any more questions from you or Lila?"

"Uh, no. Thanks, Nadja." Marinette gave her a tight smile, and disconnected.

"See!" Lila said.

"What?"

"You want him to have medical attention if he needs it. You're on his side!" Lila cried.

"No, it's just the right thing to do. Are we done with the news now?" Marinette asked.

The trapdoor opened as Sabine and Tom poked their heads in. Lila pivoted and blocked their view of the computer, while Marinette quickly closed the news and opened Ultimate Mecha Strike III on the computer.

"What are you two doing?" Tom said, as he tried to see the computer.

"Lila had never played Ultimate Mecha Strike III before, so I'm showing her how to play!" Marinette smiled at her father.

"We love that game! We can play it tomorrow, if you like, Lila!" Sabine beamed at her.

"Oh, I would love that, but I am a bit tired. I have no idea why Marinette wanted to show me how to play now, rather than tomorrow."

"I was just a bit eager, sorry!" Marinette said, shutting down her computer.

"That's fine, Marinette! I forgive you!" Lila said, hugging Marinette tightly.

"Oh, thank you so much..." Marinette said.

"Goodnight, girls!" Tom and Sabine said as they slipped back down into the living room.

Lila and Marinette looked at each other.

"Now are we going to go to sleep?"

"Why do you want to go to sleep so badly? It's awfully suspicious." Lila said.

"I'm tired, and stressed out, because Adrien's not here, and all the lies you told people at school. That isn't what they wanted to hear, so-"

"I've told you. You need to understand that I'm in charge here."

"Yeah, yeah, you've told me that already..."

"Then why didn't you get the message?" Lila folded her arms.

"I- don't know." Marinette climbed up the ladder, and got into bed. "And if you have to know, I wanted to go to sleep early tonight, so that you wouldn't be late tomorrow."

Lila stiffened, then quietly laughed it off. Marinette turned on her side, glad that her lie had caught Lila off guard.

"Oh, really?" Lila said sarcastically.

"Yes. If you want, I can make you late tom-"

"I'll just leave without you." Lila said.

"Oh, right, you can just... leave without me..."

"Yes, and I would like to, but then, how would I be able to publicly humiliate you?" Lila pouted.

"Just by standing next to me you humiliate me..." Marinette muttered under her breath.

"Ugh, rude!" Lila said. She lay down in her sleeping bag and pulled the cover over her. She closed her eyes.

Marinette turned over so she was facing the wall. She pulled out her sketchbook, and silently drew, waiting for Lila to fall asleep.

…

"Do you know the identities of any of the other miraculous holders?" Hawkmoth asked, spinning the dagger in his fingers.

"No." Chat Noir answered quietly.

"Oh, really? So, you didn't know that Chloe was Queen Bee?"

"B-but she's n-not going to get it bac-k." Chat Noir stuttered, his voice quivering.

"That may be true, but you do know some of the other identities, don't you?"

"N-no..." Chat Noir knew a few of the identities, but he would not be telling Hawkmoth anything. Hopefully.

"Yes, you do. Let's give you another whisker. Two, actually, because that was two questions you refused to answer."

Hawkmoth sliced the hot blade across Chat Noir's cheek two times, quickly, seeing the two red lines form and expand on his cheeks. Blood dripped out. Hawkmoth slid three fingers into the three slits on his cheek and pressed into the cut, cringing, but still grinning at the cat's screams.

Hawkmoth removed his bloody fingers, and wiped them all over Chat Noir's face, smudging the tears and blood, causing his face to sting.

"3 whiskers out of 6! Halfway there!" Hawkmoth said cheerily. "Isn't this an exciting game?"

Chat Noir nodded, afraid of what would happen if he said no.

"Words. Use words next time, or I'll cut out your tongue. Is that what you want?" Hawkmoth threatened.

"No..." Chat Noir muttered loud enough for Hawkmoth to hear.

Hawkmoth reached into Chat Noir's mouth, and pulled out his tongue. Hawkmoth pressed the tip of the dagger into the partially-healed hole in Chat Noir's tongue, listening to his whines. Then, a different sound came from Chat Noir. A growl came from his stomach.

Hawkmoth grinned at him. "Are you hungry? Are you thirsty again?"

Chat Noir shrank down as much as he could while hanging on his arm.

"N-no, I'm not-t-"

"I think you are. Would you like some food? Some water?"

"N-no..."

"Oh, dear. That was two incorrect answers. Two more whiskers for you!"

Hawkmoth slashed at Chat Noir's face, which now had 5 lines going from his nose to his cheek. Two lines on one side, and 3 lines on the other. Blood and tears were smudged all over his face, and were dripping down his neck, irritating his skin beneath the collar.

"Not a very pretty kitty, are you?" Hawkmoth laughed. "How many whiskers do you have now?"

"F-five-"

"Correct. And, how many more do you need before our big surprise?"

"One." Chat Noir's voice cracked with fear.

"Correct. Mayura, do you want to give our little kitten a spoiler for the surprise?"

"With pleasure, Hawkmoth."

Hawkmoth spun Chat Noir around, twisting his broken arm. Chat Noir saw Mayura open the box, and pull out a long, sharp knife. She spun it around as she walked back to Chat Noir.

"All I need to do is sharpen it, and then it'll slide right in," Mayura pressed the tip of the knife against Chat Noir's stomach.

"And then, who knows what we'll do... maybe we'll wiggle the knife around inside you, twist it, turn it, there are so many options, all of them so fun!" Mayura said, poking Chat Noir's neck with the blade.

"The only thing that's certain," Hawkmoth said, leaning in to Chat Noir's face, "is that it's going to hurt, a lot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions are asked on the news, and Marinette learns that, no matter what, Chat Noir will not be given any medical attention if he gets found.
> 
> Lila gets Marinette in trouble at home, at school, and with Alya. Lila also tells Marinette and Alya her theory that Marinette had helped, or told, Chat Noir to kidnap Adrien.
> 
> Marinette is forced to wait until night to find Chat Noir.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much this whole chapter has references to, or depictions of torture.
> 
> There will still be a brief summary at the end of the chapter.

Marinette turned over, and looked down at Lila. She climbed down the ladder, and crept past Lila, and opened the trapdoor. She slipped into the living room, and looked at Tikki.

"I don't think Hawkmoth would have given him any water, or food, so we should bring some for him, right?"

"Yes, but Marinette, I think you're missing the bigger problem. Paris thinks Chat Noir is a criminal, and want him gone. He can't just say he was framed or something."

"You're right, and we'll have no way to prove that he doesn't have, or know, where Adrien is. Ugh, this is such a big mess!"

"But, we can fix it, somehow..." Tikki said.

Marinette walked over to the tap, and started filling a water bottle with water. "Maybe, he can just hide? But, that doesn't solve the problem about Adrien..."

Tikki frowned. She knew that Chat Noir was Adrien, but Marinette didn't. Maybe, if Tikki spoke to Chat Noir about what happened, they could make something up, like Adrien just went for a walk, and got lost.

"Did any of the kwamis see Adrien, when they were out looking for Chat Noir?" Marinette asked, putting the lid on the full water bottle.

"I don't think so... wait, maybe we can ask them to look for Adrien, while we get Chat Noir?"

"Yes, Tikki, that would work! Can you ask them? I'm going to get a towel for Chat Noir, because he's probably, you know... bleeding and stuff." Marinette said.

Tikki nodded. She flew up into Marinette's bedroom, having no idea what to do. Chat Noir and Adrien were _the same person_! Tikki flew into the Miracle Box, and explained the problem to the other kwamis.

"Perhaps an illusion would work?" Trixx said.

"People are probably going to be hugging Adrien, so the illusion would fall, and that wouldn't really work." Tikki said.

"Adrien and Chat Noir are the same person. Perhaps Adrien could come back to Marinette's house, and say something like... he went back to the Agreste mansion because he was homesick?" Wayzz said.

"That could work..." Tikki started. "But what about Paris thinking Chat Noir is a criminal?"

"An illusion!" Trixx cried.

"What would be in the illusion?" Longg asked.

"Um, I didn't think about _what_ it would be..." Trixx admitted.

"Perhaps, it could show Hawkmoth and Mayura admitting they kidnapped Chat Noir and framed him?" Pollen said.

"Can you keep discussing this? I really need to go..."

"Do not worry, Tikki. We will think about this, while you and Ladybug rescue Chat Noir." Sass said.

"Thank you, kwamis! Wait, could some kwamis just follow Ladybug, just in case she needs help, or needs to clean something up..." Tikki asked.

"Yes, we could all go! That would get it done quicker too!" Kaalki said.

"Thanks again!" Tikki called as she left the Miracle Box.

Tikki flew out and made sure Lila was asleep. Then, she flew back down, and found Marinette in the kitchen, shoving some alcohol wipes in a backpack.

"Wow, you're really being prepared..." Tikki said.

"Yep, we have no idea what Hawkmoth and Mayura have done to him, and the helpful people of Paris are doing so much to help." Marinette said sarcastically.

"What have you got in the bag?" Tikki asked.

"A bunch of stuff. Towels, water, steriliser, or whatever it's called, and a few other things. What did the kwamis say?"

"Oh, they, uh, said they would look for him, starting at the Agreste mansion." Tikki said, smiling a bit too much.

It was dark, so Marinette didn't see. "So, are we ready?"

Tikki nodded. "The kwamis are going to come, in case you need to... clean something up..."

Marinette nodded, frowning. She knew what Tikki meant.

"Tikki, Spots On!"

...

"Are you excited to get your final whisker? Please do tell the truth." Hawkmoth said, reheating the dagger on the hot coal.

Chat Noir didn't know what to say. If he said 'yes', Hawkmoth would know he was lying, and would give him the sixth whisker. If he said 'no', he would be telling the truth, but Hawkmoth would probably still give him the whisker. Chat Noir thought he was probably going to get the sixth whisker anyway, so he might as well give himself some time to prepare.

"No."

"Oh, you're not excited? What do you want to happen, then?" Hawkmoth raised his eyebrows.

"I, uh, want to, um-" Chat Noir started.

"Don't you know?" Hawkmoth interrupted. "In that case, we might as well just give you the final whisker now, then."

He brought the dagger off the coal and passed the rock to Mayura, who began to sharped the knife. Hawkmoth held the dagger up, and pressed the tip into Chat Noir's cheek.

"No, I don't want to." Chat Noir squirmed and tried to kick Hawkmoth away.

"Then what do you want to do?" Mayura asked from behind.

"I-I- -want to... go?" Chat Noir said.

"Do you think that's going to happen?" Hawkmoth asked.

"No..." Chat Noir looked down.

Hawkmoth nodded. "That answer was correct. Your next question is... what is your secret identity?"

"You know the answer to that, don't you, kitten?" Mayura said.

"Y-yes, but... I'm not g-goi-"

"If you are not going to tell us, we might as well just give you the whisker. Whisker, or answer?" Hawkmoth asked.

Chat Noir pressed his lips together, shutting his eyes tight.

"Whisker it is!" Mayura cried.

Chat Noir felt the heat from the dagger as Hawkmoth brought it close to his skin. He felt the same sharp sting and horrible burning sensation as the previous five times. He felt Hawkmoth draw the dagger agonizingly across his bloody face. After a few moments, the final whisker was drawn.

Chat Noir opened his eyes as he felt Hawkmoth pull away. All of the tears gushed out of his eyes, and made the burning slits on his face sting even more.

"Did you enjoy that, kitten?" Hawkmoth asked as he wiped and cleaned the dagger on Chat Noir's forehead.

"Yes..." Chat Noir breathed, looking up into the night sky.

"That's good, because you're going to love our little finale! It's to _die_ for!" He said.

Mayura walked into Chat Noir's line of sight. She stopped sharpening the knife, and pressed the tip on his nose. With little pressure, the skin broke, demonstrating to Chat Noir just how sharp it really was.

If he wasn't already shaking with fear, he would be now.

...

Ladybug swooped quietly over the quiet streets of Paris. The kwamis followed her, making little effort to stay hidden. No one was outside, as security measures had been put in to 'prevent Chat Noir from kidnapping anyone else'.

The large backpack she was wearing didn't slow her down one bit, but the fact that she had to use her yoyo to navigate to where Chat Noir was did. She ran along the rooftops, quieting her steps and slowing down as she reached the green paw print.

She landed, and crouched down as she saw dim light coming out of a studio. She put her yoyo on her waist, and looking through the skylight. Her heart dropped as she saw Hawkmoth, Mayura and Chat Noir inside. Chat Noir's face was bloodied and dripping, and he was dangling off one of his arms. He had a... collar... on his neck. She froze for a moment, trying to process everything.

Hawkmoth took a knife from Mayura. He said something to Chat Noir. Chat Noir started shaking even more, and he closed his eyes.

Ladybug reached around, trying to open the window. She felt around, and saw a handle on the inside.

"Uh, c-can one of you..." Ladybug said to the kwamis, her heart pounding as she saw Hawkmoth near Chat Noir with the knife.

Longg nodded and flew inside, opening the window.

Hawkmoth and Chat Noir didn't seem to hear, but Mayura did. She looked up at Ladybug, who was opening the window wider so she could get inside.

"Hawkmoth, she's finally hear!" Mayura laughed quietly, so only Hawkmoth heard. She bent down and scratched 'To Ladybug' on the box with the knife.

"It's about time. I was wondering how long it would take her." He whispered back.

He took a few steps away from Chat Noir, then broke into a sprint towards the cat, who still had his eyes shut. He reached forward with the knife, and buried it in his lower stomach.

At first, Chat Noir felt nothing. Then, his whole world came crashing down as his lower stomach burned up and froze, killing him, numbing him... he couldn't even describe it. He gasped in as much air as the tight collar would allow, panicking.

...

Ladybug cried out as Hawkmoth stabbed Chat Noir. She ran towards them, taking her yoyo off her waist.

But Hawkmoth and Mayura were faster.

They reached the other side of the room and opened the door, slipping out into the night.

"You finally found us, Ladybug! Good luck!" Hawkmoth grinned at her as he disappeared. He shut the door behind him.

Ladybug let them go. She ran over to Chat Noir, her mind working way too fast for her to keep up.

The kwamis took some cloths from a nearby table and started to mop up all of the blood that had been splattered on the floor.

Ladybug looked up, seeing the chains tied to a bar in the ceiling. She quickly untied them, and caught Chat Noir as he fell to the floor.

He opened his eyes, still panting as he tried to control the pain.

"Chat Noir, do you hear me?" Ladybug said.

"L-l-ad-dy-b-b-ug-" Chat Noir gasped out, tears falling fast.

"I'm right here." Ladybug said. She took his hand.

"What's going on in there?" someone outside yelled into the studio.

Ladybug looked at the kwamis, who had managed to clean up all the blood and carry the chains and suspicious box away, to the roof above her balcony.

The door started shaking as someone tried to force their way in.

"Chat Noir, we've got to go." She told him.

Ladybug picked him up, and jumped up the window Longg had opened for her. She slipped outside and heard the kwamis shut the window.

"Look for Adrien. We need to find him as soon as possible if we want to prove Chat Noir's innocence." Ladybug told them.

The kwamis shared a weary look, then flew away.

Ladybug ran quietly along the rooftops. She felt a horrible sense of déjà vu, remembering the previous time she had carried Chat Noir to safety.

"Chat Noir, I am so sorry! This is all my fault! If I hadn't doubted you, you wouldn't have been taken, and we wouldn't be in this mess. My attitude has always been wrong. We are supposed to be a team, and you've always been there for me, while I've always doubted you. You are the best person I know, and I should never have ever doubted you..." Ladybug went on with her apology as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop. "I am so sorry, Chat Noir, and will always be here for you from now on whenever you need it."

Chat Noir processed her words, and felt another wave of tears coming on.

"I-it's f-fi-"

"No, it's not fine. It's time I start being a friend to you, as you've always done for me." She said firmly.

She stopped when she reached her balcony. She jumped onto the roof and gently lay Chat Noir down. She spotted the box the kwamis had brought laying beside the chimney.

He was still panting, and his fingers were wrapped tightly around the collar, pulling it to give him more space to breathe. Ladybug quickly found the little buckle on the collar and undid it. She pulled the collar off his neck, and grimaced as she saw the red skin and dried up blood and tears that had been caught there.

Chat Noir breathed deeper, his hands scratching at his neck.

"No, no, Chat Noir, don't do that..." She sat down with her back to the chimney, and drew Chat Noir on top of her, with his back leaning on her chest,

Chat Noir lay his head on her shoulder, trying to ignore the pulsing agony searing through him with every heartbeat.

Ladybug had read about how to treat stab victims, although most articles said to wait for proper medical help. She knew Chat Noir probably would not be able to get any proper medical help, so she would just have to do it herself. She looked around, trying to find something to distract him.

She lay her head back in frustrastion, and looked up at the sky. The stars were shining down at her, and her mind lit up with an idea.

"Chat Noir, do you see the stars?" Ladybug asked, bringing her backpack closer to her with her foot.

He leaned his head further back, and saw the stars.

"Y-y-ye-" he gasped.

"Can you try counting them?" Ladybug asked. She opened her backpack and pulled out the steriliser bottle.

"I-I- see... one ov-ver there... an-nother one there..." He whispered into her ear, counting all the stars he could see.

Ladybug looked at Chat Noir's body. His left arm looked swollen, his elbows had some fabric pieces on them, and his face had blood and tears smeared all over it.

"What did they do to you?" She whispered.

He didn't seem to hear, as he kept stuttering out numbers after he spotted a new star.

Ladybug took a deep breath placed her hand on the knife in his stomach. Chat Noir shuddered and shut his eyes, no longer counting the stars. He nuzzled his cheek into Ladybug and she nuzzled him back.

Ladybug knew you were not supposed to take a knife out of someone who had just been stabbed unless you properly knew what you were doing, but he wouldn't be able to heal if it was still in him. She took the steriliser bottle, which she was sure was for use on wounds. She poured some on a small towel, and put the bottle away.

With one hand, she held the handle of the knife. With the other, she held the towel, ready for use.

"I'm going to have to sort this out myself. The people at the hospital... um, they-"

"D-don't want me." Chat Noir said.

"No, it's not that... they're just a bit busy..." Ladybug said.

She looked back down at the knife embedded in his lower stomach.

"Deep breath, kitten. This is probably going to hurt..." She said.

"No, no... please... no..." Chat Noir cried.

"It's only going to hurt for a bit, here, hold my hand." Ladybug said. Chat Noir took her hand with his right hand. "Deep breath in..."

Chat Noir nodded, then took in a shaky breath. Ladybug pulled out the knife as quickly she could, sliding it out in a straight line.

Chat Noir whimpered and buried his face in her neck. Ladybug put the knife on the roof, and pressed the towel into the bloody hole in him. She held his hand, and he squeezed it as he writhed in pain.

"Please... make it stop..." he gasped out.

"It's hopefully going to stop hurting soon, just try to get through it, okay?" Ladybug said, feeling horrible.

Ladybug wiped around the stab wound with the cloth. She heard Chat Noir hiss as it stung him. He looked down, and started to panic as he saw just how big the knife was. He felt Ladybug gently tip his head back, so he couldn't see anything but the stars.

"Can you try counting them again?" Ladybug asked him.

He nodded, and counted all the stars he could see.

Ladybug pressed the towel into the hole, and heard Chat Noir whimper.

"It's going to be fine soon, okay?" Ladybug said.

He nodded in response.

Keeping one hand applying pressure to the towel, she picked up his right arm. She pulled the strap off it, and let it drop onto the roof.

"What did the strap do? Do you know?" Ladybug asked.

"It was pressing on- on the thing- the elbow nerve thing-" Chat Noir stuttered.

"Can you feel this?" Ladybug stretched his fingers as she pulled the glove off his hand.

"A... little bit..."

Ladybug nodded, and rubbed some of the feeling back into his hand. She then lay it down, and reached for his left arm.

He shuddered and gasped, whimpering as he nuzzled Ladybug's cheek with his own. Ladybug could feel the blood from his face rubbing off on her's, but she really didn't care.

"Is this dislocated, or broken, or something?"

"I think it's b-broken..."

Ladybug sighed, hating Hawkmoth and Mayura for putting him through this. She reached in and took a long fabric out of her backpack, and tied it tightly around his arm. She heard him whine.

"It's going to be fine in the end, don't you worry." Ladybug hugged Chat Noir as best she could.

Ladybug rested his broken arm on his chest. Gently, she pulled the bloodied towel out of the wound, and looked. Luckily, the knife had not moved much while it was in him, so the wound was as small as possible. She pressed the towel back on it, keeping pressure on it.

"This should probably heal quicker than normal, and by itself because of the miraculous magic." Ladybug told him. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired... and it's really cold..." Chat Noir whispered, not wanting to mention the pain.

Ladybug bit her lip. She could take him into her bedroom, but Lila was there, and she would be just too happy if she found Chat Noir there. Still, Ladybug thought it was worth the risk, as she knew Lila was a deep sleeper.

"I can take you somewhere a bit better, but you'll need to keep your eyes closed, as it could reveal my identity. Can you do that?"

"Yeah..." Chat Noir said.

He could keep his eyes closed. Maybe, if he was lucky, he would fall asleep, for the first time in days. He yawned, the last bits of energy in him sapping away quickly.

"What was that?" Ladybug asked.

"Oh, s-sorry, I'm just really tired." Chat Noir said, letting his eyes close as he rested his head on Ladybug's shoulder and nuzzled her cheek.

"Wait, have you slept at all recently? No, of course you haven't..." Ladybug said, her mind wandering. "Wait, no, what was that thing on your tongue?"

"My tongue? What's wrong with my tongue?" Chat Noir's words slurred together. He was dizzy from both exhaustion, lack of water and agony everywhere. Chat Noir stuck his tongue out.

"Why is there a hole in your tongue?" Ladybug cried. "And why is your tongue so dry? Of course, Hawkmoth didn't give you any water..."

"Yeah, he did."

"Are you thirsty, Chat Noir?" Ladybug asked, reaching into her backpack.

Chat Noir froze, remembering when Hawkmoth had asked him the same question.

"No." Chat Noir said. His voice was high pitched and raw.

"But, how can you _not_ want water right now? Your tongue is completely dry."

"I don't want to..." Chat Noir whispered, still embarassed.

"You don't want to drink water?" Ladybug didn't hear him properly.

"I don't want to... wet myself again..." He whispered, a bit louder.

"Again?" Ladybug asked. Then she realised how Hawkmoth had probably manipulated him into asking for water, then forced him to drink so much he had to wet himself. "Oh, kitten... you can drink however much you want, and stop drinking whenever you want to."

Ladybug took the water bottle and unscrewed the cap. Chat Noir shakily opened his mouth, and Ladybug poured in a few drops. Chat Noir started coughing. He lay his head back against Ladybug's shoulder. He opened his mouth again, asking for some more. Ladybug poured him a few more drops, and Chat Noir swallowed as much as he could.

"Does your tongue... hurt?"

"Only a bit." Chat Noir said, licking his lips. He yawned again, nuzzling his cheek against Ladybug's.

Ladybug looked at him, and remembered the marks on his face. She got another clean towel from her bag and poured some water on it.

"No, please, no, no more water..." Chat Noir begged. He covered his face with his hand, and looked fearfully at the water bottle.

"Okay, no more water. I just need to clean your face. Can you turn it a bit?"

Chat Noir turned his head, his eyelids dropping lower every moment. He jumped slightly when he felt cool wetness touch his cheek. It felt calming, even though it stung.

Ladybug wiped his right cheek clean, and saw three rough slits across his face. They looked like scabs were about to form.

"How long ago did you get these?" Ladybug asked, softly turning his head so she could clean his other cheek.

"Just before you came. But, why did you?" Chat Noir's words were still slurred, but Ladybug partially understood him.

"Why did I... what?"

"Why did you come, if you gave me to them?"

"What?" Ladybug asked, completely baffled.

"Why'd you give me to them? I- I know I'm not a very good partner, but-"

"What? I did not give you to them, and you're an amazing partner!"

Chat Noir shook his head. "B-but they said you were celebrating with my replacements when you gave me to them, and- and nobody wanted me, and- and-"

Chat Noir felt more tears prick at his eyes.

Ladybug wrapped her arms around Chat Noir.

"I was not celebrating with your replacements, and I never got replacements for you. You are my partner, and no one else. I never gave you to them, and I never will." Ladybug said.

"Promise?" Chat Noir asked quietly, looking at her.

"Promise." Ladybug said, hating how vulnerable and broken Hawkmoth and Mayura had made him become.

"Whatever Hawmoth and Mayura told you, they're lying. You're the best partner ever!" Ladybug hugged Chat Noir closer, watching him melt into the hug.

"C-can we stay here? Like this?" Chat Noir whispered to her.

"Of course we can." Ladybug whispered back to him.

Ladybug saw Chat Noir close his eyes, his stomach probably numb, so he didn't feel it. Ladybug ran her fingers through his hair. Her eyes wandered to her right, where the box was sitting.

She nudged it closer, and saw the words 'To Ladybug' written on the top. She pulled the lid of, seeing several things inside. There was a dagger with blood on the end, a rock, a little black ball, and a sheet of paper with writing on it. She picked it up, keeping it out of Chat Noir's view.

_Hello, Ladybug._

_If you are reading this, you would probably have gotten your pet kitten back. Mayura and I took care of him very well, and we played such fun games with one another! We enjoyed our time together so much, especially him._

_He will have so many fascinating memories for you to dive into._

_Fortunately, we will see one another again not too soon, and we will have such an interesting reunion._

_Until next time,_

_Hawkmoth_

Ladybug's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. She re-read the letter several times. She turned the paper around, and saw a tiny symbol on the corner of the page. She squinted, seeing a small butterfly, the symbol of the Gabriel Agreste brand.

The Gabriel Agreste brand.

Could Gabriel Agreste be Hawkmoth? No, he had been akumatised...

But, Tikki had said that Hawkmoth could akumatise himself in his civilian form to put her and Chat Noir off his track. Could it just be a coincidence that he got akumatised the same day that she and Chat Noir were onto him? Was it just a coincidence that Gabiel Agreste goes off to a fashion meeting when Hawkmoth was with Chat Noir?

Ladybug was almost completely sure Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth, but she didn't want to make the same mistake as Paris, and jump to conclusions when there are other possibilities. For all she knew, Hawkmoth and Mayura had framed Gabriel, just as he had framed Chat Noir.

Ladybug put the paper back into the box and closed the lid. She rested her head against the chimney.

...

Gabriel Agreste walked into the Agreste mansion, followed by Nathalie. He went into his office, and stood in front of the window, while Nathalie went on her computer.

"The tracker has been activated, sir."

"The camera?"

"That was activated, too. She took the letter out of the box, read it, then put it back in and shut the box, so the camera is currently just showing the lid of the box."

"Are you sure she read it?" Gabriel asked.

"Yes, the camera was angled so it could see just over the edge of the box. She read it, and put it back in. I think I saw a glimpse of Chat Noir's head on her shoulder. He looked like he was asleep."

"If that is the case, he is recovering a lot faster than we had planned. No matter. The psychological damage will still be there, and he will not have fully healed when the time comes, so we still know where he is weak and vulnerable. Has the location of the tracker come up yet?"

"It's loading. Yes, here it is." Nathalie squinted at the screen, making sure her eyes did not decieve her. "The Dupain-Cheng bakery."

"So, there is the possibility that Ladybug is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Can you bring up her image?" Gabriel asked.

Nathalie nodded. She opened a new tab, and brough a picture of Marinette beside a picture of Ladybug.

"They look very similar." Gabriel said. "Adrien was staying with her, wasn't he?"

"Yes, he should be. Miss Rossi is staying there too, to keep an eye on him."

"I will call her tomorrow, and ask her to visit us personally. If Adrien was not there, he could be Chat Noir... he could be Chat Noir... we did... that... to Adrien..." Gabriel said slowly.

"I doubt it, sir. When Adrien's bodyguard was akumatised, both Adrien and Chat Noir were seen at the same time."

"Bring up the news footage of that akumatisation."

Nathalie nodded. She brought up the news footage, and paused the video at the moment when Chat Noir and Adrien were seen in the same shot.

"He is wearing a helmet." Gabriel said.

Nathalie zoomed into the astronaut helmet's face, and brought up a fuzzy image of what appeared to be Adrien.

"There has always been a chance Adrien was Chat Noir, sir. It was just a very small chance."

"Still, there is a chance."

"Do you still want to proceed with the next stage of the plan?"

"It's not up to us, anymore. If they do what we had predicted, the plan will proceed by itself. And it's too late to back down now. We have come too far."

Nathalie nodded. "I'll activate the sensors on the wall outside for tomorrow night."

Gabriel looked outside, and saw the hidden cameras in the corners of the wall activate.

"Did the tracker get any audio?"

"Some. I'll play it now."

Nathalie ran through the audio, but all that came up was muffled whispers.

"The box lid muffled the voices, so didn't catch any of the words." Nathalie said.

"That's fine. We have the information we needed." Gabriel said.

...

Chat Noir was watching Ladybug. He was following her, floating a few feet above and behind her. He wasn't aware of himself, just Ladybug.

Ladybug ran into a dark alleyway. She had a small cage in her hands.

Ladybug stopped running. She stood still for a moment. Hawkmoth and Mayura appeared in front of her. Ladybug passed them the cage.

Hawkmoth looked inside the cage, and saw a little black kitten inside.

"Is this the worthless, useless kitten you were talking about, Ladybug?" Hawkmoth asked.

"Yes. I don't want it. It's a mistake. It's mother left, and probably abandoned it. It's father doesn't want it. Nobody wants it."

"Why would I want it?" Hawkmoth asked.

"You don't." Ladybug said. "Just torture it. That's all it deserves in life."

"That will be very fun, Ladybug. Thank you." Mayura said.

"Goodbye. I am going to go and celebrate his disappearance with it's replacements." Ladybug waved and went away.

Hawkmoth turned the cage, so the kitten could see him. The kitten was shaking, terrified. The kitten didn't want to leave Ladybug. The kitten loved Ladybug, but she didn't want him.

"What a scaredy-cat you are, kitten!" Hawkmoth said.

Chat Noir's viewpoint changed suddenly, and he realised he was now looking through the eyes of the kitten.

Hawkmoth's form changed into the form of Gabriel Agreste.

"What it this?" Gabriel dropped the cage, and it broke. "Go away, no one wants you. No one needs you. We are better off without you."

The kitten stood up on its shaking legs.

"Go!" Gabriel shouted.

The kitten's ears flapped down, and it's green eyes watered.

"Go!" Gabriel screamed.

Gabriel kicked the kitten's stomach, and he flew out of the alley.

The kitten's stomach hurt. The kitten looked at his stomach, and saw it gushing out blood.

The kitten ran across the street.

Ladybug appeared in front of him.

"Ugh, what are you doing? I don't want you! I don't need you!" Ladybug said to him.

She lifted her foot, and brought it down on the kitten's paw.

The kitten's paw hurt. The kitten looked at his paw, and saw it mangled and broken.

The kitten limped away.

The stars came out as the night came.

The kitten gave up. There was no reason to keep on going. Nobody wanted him. No one.

He was alone now.

But, in a way, he always had been.

The kitten lay down, and shut his eyes. The heard laughing.

The kitten looked up, and saw everyone laughing at him. The kitten stood up, and turned around. He had been lying in a puddle.

A puddle that hadn't been there before.

A puddle of urine.

The kitten had wet himself.

The crowds of people came closer, laughing and jeering at him.

Scared, the kitten crouched down, his ears falling. The crowd came closer. The kitten backed himself up, and found himself with no where left to run.

The crowd kicked at the kitten.

For a few moments, the world was watching him. Judging him.

Then they left.

He had had the whole world's attention on him, and yet he still had nothing.

The kitten crouched down and pressed his paws over his eyes.

The kitten whimpered. He looked around, and saw the darkness creep closer.

His ears perked upwards, as he heard a soft voice speak to him.

"Shh, kitten. Don't be scared, you're safe."

...

Ladybug opened her yoyo. It was almost 5 'o' clock in the morning, and Lila would be awake in about an hour's time. There was also school. How fun.

Ladybug took the towel off Chat Noir's stomach, and leaned forward to look at the wound. It looked like it had partially healed through the night, and seemed no where near as bad as it previously had. Ladybug reached and gently took Chat Noir's left arm. She softly felt it, and noticed most of the swelling had gone down. She lay it back on his chest.

She heard Chat Noir quietly whimper in his sleep, and looked down at him.

"Shh, kitten. Don't be scared, you're safe." She whispered to him.

She felt Chat Noir relax against her again. She could let him sleep for a bit longer, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug rescues Chat Noir from Hawkmoth.
> 
> Gabriel and Nathalie return to the Agreste Mansion, and have theories about Chat Noir's and Ladybug's identities.
> 
> Ladybug reads a letter from Hawkmoth. She has her own theory about Hawkmoth's identity.
> 
> Chat Noir's nightmare doesn't seem so scary in the end.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes references to torture, but nothing graphic.

Chat Noir's eyes flickered open. He looked to his side and saw Ladybug. He nuzzled his cheek against her, and she opened her eyes.

"Hey, there, kitten! Are you awake now?"

Chat Noir nodded and stretched himself, wincing as he remembered he had been stabbed.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug asked, standing up.

"Yeah, I think so." Chat Noir tried to stand up, and leaned on the chimney for support as his stomach tensed.

He fell forward and leaned on Ladybug.

"How's your stomach?" she asked.

"I think it's better. It hurts way less."

"And your arm?"

Chat Noir looked at his left arm, and moved it around. "Only hurts a tiny bit, I'll be fine!"

"That's good. But, Chat Noir, quite a lot has happened since Hawkmoth and Mayura took you..."

"Like what?"

"Well, Paris thinks you are a criminal who has kidnapped someone, and has been threatening me. That's why I had to help you, and couldn't take you to the hospital. People are really angry with you, so I suggest you don't transform unless you really need to."

"Are we going to tell them what really happened?"

"I don't think it would work. Tikki and the other kwamis are going to try to find Adrien Agreste, the guy people think you kidnapped, and bring him back, so people see that you were framed. I think Tikki said something about an illusion."

"Okay... can I speak to Tikki? It's about a, uh, personal thing."

"Sure, um, how about you go on the other side of the chimney? It's still pretty dark, so people won't see you."

Chat Noir nodded, and tried to jump above the chimney like he normally would have. He crumpled as his stomach erupted in pain.

"Chat Noir! Are you alright? Maybe, try and take it easy for a bit?" Ladybug said, catching Chat Noir.

She looked down at his stomach, seeing that the wound had almost healed.

"I doubt that'll be easy, being a superhero and all!" Chat Noir laughed.

"Well, right now, you're a criminal, so please don't try to do any superhero-ing unless it's completely necessary. Hopefully, the situation will be cleared up soon."

"Spoon?"

"What?"

"Nevermind... let me just go around the chimney to detransform so Plagg can talk too." Chat Noir walked around the chimney. "And, please, don't worry about me, I'm completely better!"

"Yep, completely better." Ladybug repeated.

"Spots Off."

"Claws In."

Tikki flew over to Chat Noir's side of the roof, and Plagg flew to Ladybug's side.

"Chat Noir!"

"Hey, Tikki! Long time, no see!" Adrien said, sitting down, his hand resting above his stomach.

"I can tell you're not better yet, and Ladybug can too, you know."

"Yeah, but we have more important stuff to worry about."

"You are important too, no matter what they may have told you." Tikki said.

Adrien nodded. "So, what's the plan with getting Paris to believe that I didn't kidnap myself?"

"Trixx came up with the idea for an illusion. We think it should show Hawkmoth and Mayura holding you prisoner. An illusion of you, not the actual you. We can do the whole cliche thing where the villain accidentally reveals their plan to the public via camera or recording."

Adrien nodded. "But, what about my father?"

Tikki panicked slightly, but kept on smiling. She knew about how Adrien's father was likely to be Hawkmoth, but didn't want Adrien to know yet.

"Like, won't he know about my dissapearance? And, what will I say to the people at school when they ask where I've been?"

"Your father has been on his fashion meeting trip, and hasn't come back yet. You left your phone on Marinette's sofa, but no one saw it. You didn't get any messages from him or Nathalie. Wayzz and Pollen came up with two believable excuses. Maybe, you can tell people that you were homesick, and stayed at your home. Or, your father needed you for the fashion meeting, so beeped outside Marinette's home, you opened the window to see what was happening, and went outside, and left, and there wasn't enough time to explain. I know it is wrong, but I think you should pretend to be sorry about it. Your friends are really nice, so will hopefully understand if you 'don't want to talk about it'."

Adrien nodded along. "I'm going to try and remember both of those excuses, just in case."

...

"Plagg!"

"Hi again, Ladybug!"

"You know what happened when Chat Noir was with them, right? I don't think he wants to talk about it, but I think it would be better if I knew the important stuff."

"I kinda agree. At the begining, they were asking him lots of questions, like about you and the Miracle Box. They realised he didn't know anything, so decided to just hurt him."

"Like when they made him wet himself..."

"Yeah... I think that really got to him, because they kept referring to it over and over again. The poor kid actually started to believe the stuff they were telling him. Like-"

"The things about me giving him to them, and celebrating with his replacements..."

Plagg nodded. "Do you mind just being a little softer on him? Yeah, he's healing physically, but they damaged a whole other side of him, too. He's telling you he's fine, but trust me. He's not fine."

Marinette nodded. "He has somewhere to go, right?"

"Yeah. What was all that about a plan and illusion and- I don't know, something else..."

"I think Trixx is going to help make an illusion that proves Chat Noir didn't kidnap Adrien. The kwamis are looking for Adrien right now." Marinette said.

"Wait, what? Okay, uh, give me a second..." Plagg flew through the chimney to the other side.

"Hey, Tikki, the other kwamis are looking for Adrien?"

"Ladybug thinks that, but I'll just say they found him and brought him back!" Tikki gestured to Adrien.

Adrien just looked at them, completely confused.

"Since when did you lie to your owner?" Plagg said, grinning.

"I- it's not- but- Plagg!" Tikki cried, frustrated she couldn't fully justify her actions.

"Tikki? I think she's going to wake up soon..." Marinette said from the other side of the chimney.

"I'll come, please just give me a minute!" Tikki called. She turned back to Adrien.

"I know where you were staying, but Ladybug doesn't. If you need her, call her." Tikki quickly told him.

"Okay. Bye, Tikki!"

"Bye, Adrien!" Tikki gave Adrien a hug on the cheek.

She flew back through the wall, and Marinette transformed.

"Hey, kid. You feeling better than before?"

"Yeah, thanks for being there for me, Plagg!" Adrien reached up and grabbed Plagg, and hugged him for a moment.

"I'm just glad you're doing good."

"Thanks! Plagg, Claws Out!"

Chat Noir stood up and walked to the other side of the chimney. He stumbled over something, and Ladybug caught him.

"What's that?" Chat Noir looked at the thing he had tripped over.

Ladybug picked up the box, and small pile of chains. She picked up the chains and put them in the box.

"The chains were... used on you, by Hawkmoth and Mayura. The box was on the floor, and it had some stuff inside."

"Can I see?"

"Uh, yes."

Ladybug opened the box, and let Chat Noir see inside.

"That was the- the d-dagger they used on me, f-for the whiskers." Chat Noir sniffed. "That was the- the coal they heated it on."

"Are you okay?" Ladybug asked, seeing Chat Noir start to shake.

"Y-yeah, I- I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?" Chat Noir flashed her a photoshoot smile.

"Kitten, I can see that you're not really fine." Ladybug moved the box to the side and hugged Chat Noir.

"I- I- I'm s-sorry..." Chat Noir stuttered, trying to stop the tears.

"No, don't be sorry. This was done to you, you didn't have a choice. We can stop looking through the things, if you want."

Chat Noir pulled away after a few moments. He shook his head, and wiped the tears away. He took a deep breath and picked up the piece of paper.

_Hello, Ladybug._

_If you are reading this, you would probably have gotten your pet kitten back. Mayura and I took care of him very well, and we played such fun games with one another! We enjoyed our time together so much, especially him._

_He will have so many fascinating memories for you to dive into._

_Fortunately, we will see one another again not too soon, and we will have such an interesting reunion._

_Until next time,_

_Hawkmoth_

"I have a theory that Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth." Ladybug said. She pointed to the corner of the paper. "There. That is the Gabriel Agreste brand thing. And, I don't think it's a coincidence that he is away when Hawkmoth comes out of hiding for a while."

"B-but, he was akumatised!"

"Tikki said that Hawkmoth may have akumatised himself to keep us from finding out his identities. Also, while you were... away... the kwamis made a list of all the possible Hawkmoth's based on the fact that he is rich and a well known figure. You had missed quite a lot. Gabriel Agreste was on that list."

Chat Noir didn't want to believe it, but he forced himself to accept that it may be true. That his father had been torturing him for days on end. But, why would he?

"Does he have a reason? Like a motive?"

"I, uh, don't know. He isn't the most social person. Plus, I only came up with this theory last night when you were sleeping." Ladybug raised an eyebrow. "Do you remember what you dreamed about?"

Chat Noir's face scrunched as he tried to remember. "Sorry, I don't remember, but it was probably about you, Bugaboo!" Chat Noir winked at her.

"Hey!" Ladybug gently punched his right arm.

"Sorry." Chat Noir looked down, his smile vanishing.

"I was just teasing, kitten..." Ladybug said.

"Oh, yeah, sorry..." Chat Noir said.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, so don't be." Ladybug said.

Chat Noir re-read the letter.

"Dive into?" Chat Noir said.

"What?"

"Like, when I fell out of that window, before I cataclysmed the gate..." Chat Noir thought to himself.

"You fell out of a window? Can you just explain what happened with this? I don't understand."

"I tried to escape, and was about to cataclysm this big window. It opened, and I fell out, and spat out some blood, and tried to jump through the gate, but I accidentally cataclysmed it."

"You spat out some blood? Because of your tongue?"

"Yeah..."

"I found your blood outside the Agreste mansion, and the gate you cataclysmed was the gate outside the Agreste mansion. I think you were being held there."

Chat Noir took a deep breath. More evidence pointing to his own father as Hawkmoth.

"Should we check it out?" he asked.

"Yes, but not now. How about tonight?"

"Okay... I, uh, want to thank you, Ladybug, for everything."

"You don't need to, kitten!" Ladybug hugged him for a moment. "Shall we go-"

"Wait, there was another thing in the box." Chat Noir looked in the box, and put back the letter, and picked up the little black ball. "What's this?"

"I... don't know." Ladybug said.

"Hey, it has a little flashing red light, like a camera." Chat Noir's face fell.

"A camera." Ladybug repeated.

"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir said, and the little ball crumbled to dust. "It was probably nothing, right?"

"Yeah, nothing at all, don't worry about it!"

Chat Noir nodded, looking into space.

"Chat Noir?" Ladybug called. "Chat Noir!"

"What? Oh, I, uh, sorry, was thinking-"

"It's fine. Just, promise me you won't get into anymore trouble, and only transform if you really need to. And, take it easy!"

"I promise. Cat's honour!" Chat Noir held up his hand.

"Sure, I totally believe that!" Ladybug teased.

"Yep. You'll just have to take my purr for it."

"I will. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"I will, M'Lady." Chat Noir said.

They waved to one another, and Ladybug took her yoyo, and zipped off. Chat Noir waved to her, and took his baton off his back. He bent down, and blew the dust off the roof. He recognised the roof as Marinette's house, and extended his baton so that it reached the floor. He slid down, wincing slightly as he landed.

"Plagg, Claws In."

"So, are we just going to wait out here until someone opens the bakery?"

"Yeah, I guess. I don't want to be rude, and they probably hate me already for causing such a fuss."

"Kid, look at me, right now."

Adrien looked Plagg in the eyes.

"No one hates you." Plagg said firmly.

Adrien nodded.

"Now, are we gonna just wait out here until somebody opens the bakery?"

"Yeah."

"Why? Why don't we just knock on the door, and hope someone hears us?"

"I don't want to interrupt whatever they're doing."

Plagg sighed.

"You're way too nice, ya know that?"

...

"It looks like they fell into the trap, sir."

"They are coming tonight?"

"Yes. Also, Chat Noir cataclysmed the tracker, so we cannot use it anymore."

"That does not matter. They have fallen into our trap, and that is all that matters." Gabriel paused. "Miss Rossi should be awake soon, as she has school. Can you call her, about Adrien?"

Nathalie nodded.

"Hello, Miss Rossi."

...

Ladybug swung off, and waited a few minutes on a nearby roof. Then, she returned to her balcony, and detransformed, hiding the box beneath a chair.

"Tikki, are the other kwamis looking for Adrien?"

"No!" Tikki burst.

"What? Why not?"

"Because, they... already found him. He said he would make his own way here."

"Okay... where was he?"

"I think he should answer that question himself!" Tikki said, smiling way too much.

"Okay... about the illusion thing..."

"You need to wear the fox pendant, and summon an illusion that proves Chat Noir is innocent, without revealing too much information. Do you know what you are going to show?"

"Tikki, I have been thinking about this for days! I know exactly what I'm going to do!"

"Good! It'll need to be very convincing." Tikki said.

Marinette nodded and slipped through the trapdoor into her bedroom. She locked the trapdoor as she landed on her bed. She rolled over and peered over at Lila, who appeared to be asleep.

Marinette climbed down the ladder and went into the living room. She looked to the open window, which no one had closed yet. Marinette looked outside, admiring the view of the rising sun. She looked down, and saw a blond sitting beside the bakery.

"Adrien?" Marinette called, squinting to get a better view.

He turned, and smiled at her.

"Marinette!"

"Hold on, let me come down!" Marinette said as she ran back inside. "Lila, get up! This is important!"

"What is it?" Lila said groggily.

"Adrien." Marinette replied, running down the stairs to the bakery.

"What?" Lila got up and followed Marinette.

Marinette opened the door, and embraced Adrien in a warm hug. Lila joined in on the hug, relieved she wouldn't have to tell Gabriel of his son's dissapearance.

Marinette pulled away. "Are you okay? What happened? Where did you go?"

"How did you escape?" Lila asked.

Adrien processed the questions. "Escape? Escape what?"

"You know, escape Chat Noir." Lila said.

Adrien scrunched his face in confusion.

"I don't understand..."

"There's been a roumour that you were kidnapped by Chat Noir." Marinette explained.

"Oh, that's, uh, not true..."

"Then, what happened?" Lila asked.

"I felt a bit homesick, so went home. I'm really, really sorry to have caused such a big fuss, you probably hate me." Adrien said, lowering his head.

"Of course we don't hate you, Adrien!" Marinette said, hugging him again.

Lila's phone buzzed.

"It's your father's assistant." Lila said.

"Please can you, uh, not tell them I went home?" Adrien asked quietly.

"Hello, Miss Rossi." Nathalie said on the phone.

"Oh, hello!" Lila said.

"How are you?"

"I am good, thank you, how are you?"

"I am doing fine, thank you. Is Adrien with you?" Nathalie asked.

"Yes, he's right here. Do you want to speak with him?" Lila said.

"No, thank you. Have you been keeping an eye on him, these past few days?"

"Yes. Although, I believe he had come down with a cold yesterday, so he wasn't able to go to school I gave him all his schoolwork, though. It would have been easier if Marinette had contributed." Lila said.

"That is fine. Adrien's father has thanked you. Goodbye, Miss Rossi."

"Oh, okay, then. Goodbye!" Lila said.

She disconnected the line.

"Thank you so much, Lila!" Adrien said.

"Oh, it was nothing! But, like I said, it would have been better if Marinette had contributed."

...

"Your son has been with Miss Rossi for the past few days, so it is not possible that he is Chat Noir."

"Good. Life is going to get much harder for Ladybug and Chat Noir, so I would not want Adrien to be in any danger."

Nathalie nodded. She pulled out a box from under her desk, and brought it over to Gabriel.

"I managed to find a strong sedative that will be able to keep him unconscious for at least a few hours, even with the miraculous magic." Nathalie said, pulling out a small container of a white liquid.

Gabriel picked it up, and held it up to the light. He nodded, and slipped it into a syringe, ready for use.

"Is this the same sedative I used on him a few days ago?" he asked.

"Yes, but a lot stronger, and more concentrated."

Gabriel put the syringe into the box, and placed it on the windowsill. He walked back to the portrait of Emilie, and pressed a few of the triangles.

"Let me speak to her again."

"Just remember, you are not speaking to her. You are simply going into her subconscious."

"It is still her, and always will be."

Nathalie quietly sighed and stepped into the elevator beside Gabriel. They went down into the room below, and walked over to Emilie.

"Nooroo, Darkwings Ri-"

"No, Master, please! She is already broken from the usage of the broken peacock miraculous, you will simply break her further! She may be destroyed permanent, even if you use the wi-"

"Silence, Nooroo! How dare you interrupt me like that! How dare you speak of Emilie as if she were a lost cause!" Gabriel snapped.

"Sir, be careful." Nathalie said.

"I will not hurt her further." he said simply.

"Master, by doing this you are hur-"

"Silence!" Gabriel snapped his fingers, and Nooroo's mouth disappeared. "Nooroo, Darkwings Rise!"

Hawkmoth stepped forward, and opened his hand. A butterfly landed on his hand, and he enclosed it within his palms. The released it, and the blackened akuma flew to Nathalie and landed in her glassed.

"Mind Walker, I give you the power to allow others to go into others' minds."

"Okay, Hawkmoth. I know what to do with this power." Nathalie said.

Her form bubbled, and shifted into a cloudy bubble.

The bubble floated to Emilie, and rested on her forehead. Hawkmoth waited for a few moments, and the bubble popped, splattering both him and Emilie in a sticky liquid.

He closed his eyes, and stepped into Emilie's mind.

...

"Adrien! Please, sit down! Are you okay? I'll call the police, do you know where Chat Noir is?" Tom asked quickly, sitting Adrien down on the sofa.

Adrien winced as his stomach tensed when he sat down. He smiled through it, clenching his fists.

"No, no, please don't do that. Marinette and Lila told me about the whole Chat Noir kidnapping me thing. It's not true." Adrien said.

"Then what happened, dear?" Sabine asked, coming into the living room.

"Oh, I, uh, got a bit homesick, so went back home. I'm really sorry for causing such a fuss, it's my fault-"

"No, it's not!" Sabine said. "Let me just call the police to tell them what really happened."

"Can you tell them not to, like, you know, make a big deal out of it? I really don't want my father to know..."

"I understand, dear. I'll tell them." Sabine smiled at him. She left the room as she called the police.

"Don't worry about me, please." Adrien said, standing up when Tom started cooking.

"Let us spoil you, Adrien!" Tom said cheerfully. "Come on, you can't say no!"

Adrien remembered when Hawkmoth and Mayura had told him to do or say something, and he had to, or else something would happen to him.

Adrien just smiled and nodded to Tom.

"Are you thirsty, Adrien?" Tom asked, filling a glass with water.

"Yes." Adrien said, starting to panic. He kept on smiling. He took the glass of water Tom handed him.

Marinette sat down at the table, and patted the seat next to her. Adrien sat down next to her, and drank some of his water, slowly getting more anxious. Lila sat down opposite him, eyeing him suspiciously.

Tom brought over three plates of food, and placed them on the table. Lila and Marinette started to eat, but Adrien kept drinking his water.

A few words echoed around in his mind.

_'You don't have a choice.'_

Adrien didn't quite remember who said it, but he was sure it was true. Like Tom said, Adrien couldn't say no.

"Would you like some more, Adrien? You seemed to finish that pretty fast." Tom said, glancing at Adrien's empty glass.

"Okay!" Adrien said, smiling tightly as he handed Tom the glass.

What was he doing? He didn't want more water! He should just say no, he didn't want any more water. But then, wouldn't they hate him, just as they hated Chat Noir? When he was Chat Noir, he was free, able to give his opinion on anything, and everything.

Until recently.

_'You don't have a choice.'_

"Here you go, Adrien." Tom passed the full glass to Adrien.

"Thank you." he said, pressing his knees together as the water he had just drunk flooded through him.

He slid the plate towards him, and ate his food silently, just as he had always done at home. He finished, and stood up on his shaking legs to put his plate away.

"Your stuff is on the sofa." Marinette said to him.

"Thanks."

Adrien walked over to the sofa and checked all of his things was just as he left it. He nodded and picked his glass up again, finishing it in a few big gulps. He put his glass away and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do.

Sabine came back into the room, her phone in her hand.

"The police are going to handle the situation, Adrien, so don't worry." Sabine said.

"Thank you."

"It was no problem! Anyway, would you like anything? Water?" Sabine asked.

_'You don't have a choice.'_

"Uh, yes, please." Adrien smiled.

Sabine nodded and filled a glass of water and passed it to him.

"You may want to drink that quicky, school starts soon! You ladies might want to hurry up a little." Sabine said, glancing at the clock.

"All my stuff is packed, so I'm ready to go, Mama." Marinette said.

"Me too!" Lila stood up, and put her plate away.

Adrien looked down at the water. He didn't want it. He really, really didn't want it. But, he felt he had to drink it.

_'You don't have a choice.'_

Adrien tipped the glass and swallowed all the water he could, his legs shaking more from the growing pressure.

Pressure he knew too well.

"Um, please could I go to the -" he asked, wanting to relieve himself.

"Yep, we can go now. I completely understand why you want to leave Marinette here, she isn't the fastest person in the mornings!" Lila said, grabbing his arm and leading him to the door.

_'You don't have a choice.'_

Adrien followed, grabbing his bag.

"Wait! I'm done!" Marinette said, putting her plate away and putting her bag on her back. "Okay, let's go!"

She tried to one-up Lila by grabbing Adrien's other arm, pulling him out the door.

Adrien laughed nervously, hoping Miss Bustier would allow him to use the school toilets before the lessons started.

...

Hawkmoth looked around, seeing Emilie's memories splayed out for him, and only him to see. He wandered around, seeing Felix run around in Adrien's clothing, and Adrien follow wearing Felix's clothing. Emilie was laughing. Hawkmoth pressed forward on that memory, remembering that week. He held out his hand to Emilie, but the memory of her didn't register him.

Hawkmoth touched Emilie's hand, and black cracks appeared, and a small dent was left where his finger was. The cracks spread out, and soon covered all of her body. The cracks deepened, and she crumbled away.

Hawkmoth stepped back.

It happened again.

He had destroyed another part of her. Another moment she would never remember.

But, hopefully, with the miraculous wish, he would be able to restore her fully. All her crumbling memories. All her destroyed memories. Everything.

It would be perfect.

The whole family, together again.

All of this would be worth it.

If he could just get a pair of earrings and a ring off two teenagers.

Hawkmoth stomped his foot in anger, and sighed as dark cracks spiralled out from beneath his foot.

This wasn't the first time he had hurt her like this.

This wasn't the first time he had gone into her mind.

It wasn't the second.

It wasn't the third.

It wasn't the fifth, or sixth, or seventh.

Nor was it a number he knew.

But, it would be the last.

...

Marinette and Lila sat down, and the class went silent stared at Adrien as he walked in, unasked questions written all over his face.

Miss Bustier looked up at the sudden silence, and froze for a moment when she saw Adrien.

"A-Adrien! How are you?" She said, watching him closely.

"I'm fine, thank you. I'm really sorry about going home and not telling anybody." he said, lowering his head.

"What? I don't understand." she replied.

The class listened intently to Adrien.

"Well, I was staying with Marinette, and it was my first time away from home, and I got a bit homesick, so ran back. I'm really sorry for creating this mess."

Miss Bustier sighed in relief. "We are glad to have you back, Adrien."

"Uh, Miss, please could you excuse me? I really need to go to the toilet." Adrien hadn't meant to say it in such a way, but at least it conveyed his message.

"Yes, you may. Please try to come back quickly."

Adrien nodded and quickly ran to the boy's toilets.

He took care of his business, and left the toilets.

Plagg flew out of his bag.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just had a bit too much water earlier, that's all. I'm fine now."

"I can tell there's something else going on too, you know." Plagg said.

"It just hurts." Adrien said simply.

"Your stomach?"

"My stomach, my arm, my tongue, my face, everything. Sure, you can't even see the cuts on my cheek and my tongue looks fine. It just- hurts, and I don't know why."

"Take a break. Here." Plagg gestured to the wall, beside one of the lockers.

He pulled Adrien gently and lowered him to the floor. Adrien leaned his head against the wall, trying not to breath too deeply.

"Do you mind if I check?"

"No. You can check if you want to."

Plagg lifted Adrien's shirt slightly, and saw the spot where the knife had been. It looked like it was healing well, but Plagg was no expert.

Nor was Ladybug, which was why there was nothing stopping the wound from getting infected.

Plagg opened his mouth to say something about it, when the door opened suddenly. Plagg hid in Adrien's bag and pulled his shirt down.

"Dude! What are you doing on the floor?"

"I was- uh, tying my laces."

"You looked like you were about to fall asleep."

"Yeah, I was trying to remember how to tie them."

Adrien reached forward to tie them, when he saw they were already tied. He quickly untied it before Nino could see. He winced as his stomach and his healing arm tensed.

"Oh, I forgot how to do them! Oh, well..."

"Don't worry about it, dude! I can do them."

Nino bent down and tied Adrien's laces.

"Thanks, Nino." Adrien stood up again.

"No worries. Come on, Miss Bustier was getting worried."

...

"Hey, maybe Ladybug's going to make some announcement, not that the guy Chat Noir 'kidnapped' has been found, and has said he wasn't taken by him!" Marinette joked.

Alya had been talking to her about how there had been barely any Ladybug appearances, and Marinette thought this was the perfect opportunity to get Alya to film the illusion she would produce later.

"Yes! Marinette, that's brilliant!"

"It is?"

"Yes! Ladybug will probably say something, and she will probably want to be somewhere everyone will be able to see her, maybe like... the Eiffel Tower!" Alya thought out load.

"Are you going to just camp out there now?" Marinette asked. She made a mental note to herself to make sure she produced the illusion at the Eiffel Tower.

"Yep! This will be totally worth it!" Alya said eagerly.

"Sit down please, Alya. The lesson is almost finished." Miss Bustier said.

Alya looked at the clock.

10 minutes.

10 long minutes.

Totally worth it.

...

Marinette ran out of the classroom as soon as school ended. She managed to slip into her bedroom without being seen, and reached for the Miracle Box beneath her bed. She pressed one of the spots. She picked up the fox miraculous and slipped it around her neck. She climbed up onto her balcony, and crouched down.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lila talking to Adrien. She gritted her teeth, but forced herself to get on with the job at hand.

"Tikki, Spots On!"

She saw Alya running the the direction of the Eiffel Tower, clearly convinced Ladybug would be making an appearance.

Ladybug ran along the rooftops, and landed on the Eiffel Tower in a few minutes. She stood in the middle of the platform.

"Tikki, Trixx, Unify!"

Ladybug looked down, seeing her usual suit speckled with orange and white.

She sat down, waiting for Alya to arrive.

Minutes passed, and an out of breath Alya caught her eyes.

She thought of what she wanted to portray in the illusion for a moment, then nodded to herself. 

"Illusion!"

...

Alya slowed down as she reached the Eiffel Tower. She caught her breath, and looked at the tower, stunning in the light. She saw a little flash or orange, and looked up.

"People of Paris!" Hawkmoth yelled from the Eiffel Tower.

Alya gasped, as did the people around her. She took out her phone and began a livestream.

"I have captured your precious Chat Noir!" Hawkmoth gestured to his side, where Mayura stepped forward, with Chat Noir in her arms.

"Ladybug! If you ever want to see him again, you will come and give up your miraculous!" Mayura yelled.

Ladybug swung in from somwhere. She threw her yoyo around Chat Noir, and brought him into her arms. Hawkmoth and Mayura panicked, and ran away.

"Everybody!" Ladybug called. "I have saved Chat Noir. He told me that Hawkmoth and Mayura had actually kidnapped and framed him for all these crimes."

Chat Noir stood up.

"It is very true, and I am sorry I was not able to tell you before." he said.

"Hey!" Alya called up to them. "Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

"Sure, but just me. Chat Noir needs to go and rest." Ladybug called down.

Alya nodded, a mixture of emotions surging through her. She was wrong, and she had caused most of Paris to turn on a superhero who had been kidnapped.

Chat Noir jumped away on his baton, and Ladybug landed in front of her.

...

"Sure, but just me. Chat Noir needs to go and rest." Ladybug made the illusion say.

The illusion of Chat Noir vaulted away on his baton.

The real Ladybug stepped forward and swiped at the illusion.

"Reality!"

The illusions disappeared into orange mist, and Ladybug took off the fox miraculous.

"Sorry, Trixx, I don't have any food right now. Hang on, let me just talk to Alya."

Trixx nodded took the fox miraculous, hiding herself behind Ladybug.

"Hi, Alya." Ladybug landed in front of her.

"Hi, Ladybug! So, I have a few questions from the Ladyblog. Actually, most of them are repeats..." Alya scrolled through her phone. "Okay, I have a few questions."

"Ask away!"

"Okay. Did you know Chat Noir had been kidnapped?"

"Um, no. I did not. Next?"

"How long did Hawkmoth and Mayura have him?"

"I think a few days." Ladybug replied, eager to get the final questions over with.

"Are you sure Chat Noir was framed, and this isn't just part of his master plan?"

"Yes. I am completely sure. I don't think you could see from down here, but Hawkmoth admitted to framing him."

"Alright, brilliant!"

"Oh, I'm really sorry! My earrings beeped! I've got to go! Bug Out!" Ladybug zipped away, Trixx hiding in her hair. 

Ladybug landed on her balcony and crouched down as she detransformed.

Marinette slid into her bedroom, and made sure Lila and Adrien weren't around. Tikki and Trixx flew to the table and each ate a cookie, while Marinette put the fox miraculous back into the Miracle Box.

Marinette went downstairs, and saw Lila and Adrien watching Alya's live stream on the Ladyblog.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"It turns out that Chat Noir is..." Lila started.

"Innocent!" Adrien finished.

"You seem really happy about that, Adrien!" Marinette said.

"Oh, yeah. I just don't want him to be in trouble for something that he didn't do, you know..." Adrien said.

Marinette smiled at him, and it warmed his heart.

...

The rest of Marinette's day was a fuzzy mess. Probably because she didn't do anything other than play video games, but, in her defence, video games are fun.

Tom and Sabine were glad that Adrien was safe, and could understand why Adrien had gone home. They did not take it as a personal insult at all.

"I just want to thank you, again, for letting me stay, especially after the big mess I caused." Adrien said.

But they weren't taking one bit of his apology.

"It's not your fault, and you're welcome here anytime!" they said to him.

"But still, thank you!"

Sabine and Tom smiled at him warmly.

"Adrien, are you alright sleeping downstairs-" Lila called to him from the trapdoor. She looked at Marinette and whispered. "-rather than in Marinette's bed?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks!" Adrien said, not hearing the second part of her question.

"Goodnight, Lila, Marinette and Adrien! It's Saturday tomorrow, so there's no school. Marinette, Lila, please don't play video games at night again." Tom and Sabine said as they closed the door.

There was silence for a few moments as the teenagers realised they were alone.

"Who's up for a round of Ultimate Mecha Strike III?" Marinette asked.

"Oh, I'm sure your parents would love to play! Let me get them-"

"No thanks, Lila."

"Your just jealous because I got a bigger slice of cake than you."

"Yeah right!"

The girls bickered, while Adrien turned over on the sofa, trying to get comfortable. He couldn't sleep on his side because his cheeks were hurting, and he couldn't sleep on his front because of his stomach, and he was just so hot. Way too hot. Adrien stood up, and placed his hand on the handle to the window.

"Do you mind if I open the window?" He called up.

The girls went silent.

"Told you!" Marinette hissed to Lila.

"Yeah, you can open it!" Marinette called to Adrien.

"Thanks!" Adrien opened the window and sighed as the cool air brushed past his skin.

He went back to the sofa and lay down on his back, turning his phone on. He went onto the Ladyblog, and read through everything from the past week.

...

Marinette turned to Lila for the third time in the past few hours.

"Lila!" She whispered.

Lila didn't move or register the sound, so Marinette assumed she was asleep. She climbed onto her balcony and transformed.

Ladybug opened her yoyo and called Chat Noir.

Several minutes passed, and Ladybug saw a shadow move behind her.

"Boo!" Chat Noir called.

"Oh, my! I'm so scared!" Ladybug said dramatically.

"Yeah, you should be. I'm dangerous, you know." Chat Noir laughed.

"You look better." Ladybug observed.

"I'm with you, of course I'm better!"

"That's good. So, the Agreste mansion." she said.

Chat Noir nodded, and followed her to the Agreste mansion.

Ladybug slowed down as they approached. Chat Noir came over a few moments later, almost fully out of breath. He fell onto his knees, trying to breathe deeply without moving his stomach.

Ladybug dropped onto her knees beside him. She spotted his hands clutching his lower stomach. She softly pulled his hands away, and pressed the back of her hand onto the wound. Chat Noir whimpered in response.

"You're not fine." she whispered to him.

Chat Noir dropped his head. "I'm sorry. Please don't make me go."

"I'm not going to make you. We shouldn't have to move around much anyways."

Ladybug helped Chat Noir jump to the wall of the Agreste mansion. She sat him down on the edge of the wall, and pointed to where she had found his blood a few days ago.

"That's where I found the blood, and the gate hasn't been replaced yet. You said you fell out of a big window?" Ladybug looked up, but didn't see any big window. "How big is 'big'?"

"Like the size of that." Chat Noir pointed to the large dome.

He jumped off the wall, and landed on the ground within the walls. His landing was silent other than the sound of pebbles crunching, and a small, but distinct, click.

"Ah, Ladybug. You have brought my pet back to me. Thank you." Hawkmoth's voice sounded metallic, as if it were a recording.

A light flashed onto the wall, and the heroes looked at it, confused.

...

Hawkmoth and Mayura silently stepped out of their hiding place behind the heroes.

Hawkmoth reached forward and grabbed Chat Noir, and pulled him against his body. He pressed his cane against the spot the knife had been, and squeezed his broken arm.

Chat Noir whimpered and tears threatened to spill.

"You have a choice, Ladybug. The earrings for the cat." Hawkmoth said.

"No! You won't ta-" Ladybug cried, taking her yoyo off her waist.

"I had a feeling you might say that." Hawkmoth said.

Mayura closed her fan, and revealed a syringe filled with a white liquid.

"This is a poison that will kill the kitten within two hours. It will give him a long, and painful death." Hawkmoth pressed harder against Chat Noir's stomach and squeezed his arm tighter.

Mayura brought the syringe close to Chat Noir's neck. The sharp tip pressed against one of the veins.

"No! You can't do that!"

"You think we won't do it? Did you see what we did to your precious kitten while we had him?"

"No, just- please!" Ladybug's words came out jumbled.

"I didn't want to have to do this, but you have given me no choice. This is your fault, Ladybug." Hawkmoth said. He turned to Mayura. "Go on, Mayura, do it."

"No!"

Mayura pressed the tip of the needle into Chat Noir's neck. He whimpered one final time, looking into Ladybug's eyes, sure death would take him soon.

Mayura allowed the white liquid to flow into Chat Noir's bloodstream.

Chat Noir felt tired, and fought against the urge to close his eyes. A few tears fell out of his eyes.

"We do have a cure for it, but it'll cost you. As I have told you before, you know what this price is. You have one hour. Don't even think about doing any tricks or games, or else his blood is on your hands."

Chat Noir closed his eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

"Come on, Ladybug. You don't want to keep your kitten waiting." Hawkmoth said, carrying Chat Noir horizontally in his arms. "The quicker you make your decision, the more chance he has to survive."

"What? So- he might not actually- l-live at all? Even with the cure?" Ladybug stuttered.

Hawkmoth shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. It all depends on how strong he is, and in my opinion, he's not very strong at the moment."

"H-how about something else instead?" Ladybug asked.

Hawkmoth raised his eyebrows. "Something else? Are you suggesting the Miracle Box?"

"No! I didn't say tha-"

"So, you're saying your pet's life isn't worth the Miracle Box?"

Ladybug clenched her jaw.

"I'll give you the Miracle Box, in exchange for him and the cure." Ladybug said desperately.

"Oh, yes. I think that will work nicely, Marinette." Hawkmoth said, grinning.

"Fine. I'll go an- wait, did you just call me Marinette?" Ladybug panicked.

"Yes. Are you wondering how I know?" Hawkmoth asked, pleased with himself.

"No, I'm not. Because I'm not Marinette." Ladybug threw her yoyo in the air. "Let me go and get the Miracle Box. Please do not follow me, Hawkmoth."

"How can I follow you, when I've got this sleepy kitten to take care of?" Hawkmoth said, gesturing to the limp cat's body in his arms. "Once you have the Miracle Box, go to the Eiffel Tower. And no tricks."

Ladybug bit her lip, and swung away on her yoyo.

Hawkmoth tapped his cane, and a black butterfly flew out and landed on the tablet Mayura was holding.

No words were spoken, as both knew exactly what to do.

...

Ladybug landed on her balcony, and looked around, for any sign of Hawkmoth or Mayura. She crouched down, and detransformed.

She slipped into her bedroom through the trapdoor, and reached beneath her bed to the Miracle Box.

"No, Marinette! There has to be another way!" Tikki whispered to her.

Marinette glanced uneasily at Lila, before turning back to Tikki.

"I'm not going to give him the Miracle Box, well I am, but, you know... Do you think I would be able to take all of the miraculouses out, and give him the empty box?"

Tikki's face lit up. "Yes, that would work, unless he wants to check if the miraculouses are there..."

Marinette slid down her ladder and picked up a black hair tie. She glued some green paper on it, and showed Tikki.

"Boom, Turtle Miraculous!"

"What if you ask some of the other heroes for help? Then, you wouldn't have to fight Hawkmoth and Mayura alone."

"Yeah! Oh, no, Tikki, look!" Marinette pointed to the open trapdoor above her bed, were a dark red butterfly was flying down.

Marinette watched in horror as she backed against the wall, the akuma flying closer and closer.

"Think happy thoughts, Marinette!" Tikki cried.

But, the akuma was not meant for her.

The akuma flew down and rested on Lila's bracelet. Lila's eyes opened and a red mask hovered above her face.

Marinette panicked and looked at Tikki, who was pointing to the Miracle Box beneath the bed. She ran back up the ladder and grabbed it, and then dived beneath her blanket.

"Tikki, Spots On!"

Most of the light was blocked by the blanket, and Ladybug hoped Lila wouldn't notice the rest. She pushed the blanket off her and put the Miracle Box on the bed as she dived down, tackling Lila, who had stood up.

"You're too late, Ladybug!" Lila said as she kicked Ladybug's stomach.

Ladybug flew back, shocked by the power of the kick. Clutching her stomach, Ladybug reached up to her bed. She grabbed the Miracle Box and looked down to Lila.

Her form bubbled in black and purple, then revealed Lila fitted in her Volpina outfit.

Volpina jumped out of the window, allowing the glass to crack and the shards to fly out into her street and bedroom.

Ladybug's eyes widened, and stepped back. Lila had just been akumatised into Volpina in her own bedroom! Now, Ladybug was against Hawkmoth, Mayura and Volpina. And Hawkmoth and Mayura were clearly working harder, so she and Chat Noir would have to fight harder too.

When she got him back.

If she got him back.

But she would, right?

Ladybug didn't want to think about the other things that might happen.

She jumped out of the trapdoor, and swung over to Alya's house. She tapped on the window, and it opened a few moments later.

"Uh, hello?" Alya looked around suspiciously, and grinned when she saw Ladybug.

"Hi, Alya! I need your help. Can I come in?"

Alya nodded and stood back so that Ladybug could climb in through the window.

"I hope you don't mind, but Nino's here..." Alya looked to Nino, who was sitting on the bed.

"That's good, I need you both. But, what were you doing here?" Ladybug asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"My brother still needs to get his vomit out of my bed sheets, so I'm just going to chill here with Alya until he does."

"Oh, um, good? Anyway, I need you to transform as soon as possible, and meet me at the building we were hiding at when Hawkmoth was Scarlet Moth a while ago. There's a lot to explain, and I would prefer to explain just once, rather than five different times. I'll see you in a few minutes." Ladybug said, handing them both their miraculouses from the Miracle Box.

"O-okay, we'll see you there, Ladybug."

Ladybug nodded and zipped away.

"Dude." Nino said, grinning as he opened the little box.

"Dude." Alya replied, putting the fox miraculous around her neck.

Nino slid the band onto his wrist.

Trixx and Wayzz looked at each other, hopeful.

The two transformed, and the room flashed in orange and green.

"Hey, actually, no."

Carapace and Rena Rouge looked to the window, where Ladybug was sitting.

"You came back! Wait, what do you mean 'no'?" Rena Rouge asked.

"I mean that I don't need you. You were never strong enough. Alya, you are a ridiculous journalist. And Nino, don't even get me started on your terrible beats. Give me the miraculouses back. I'll give them to Chloe. She's a way better hero than you."

Carapace and Rena Rouge looked at her in complete shock, as their minds filled with self doubt and hurt.

Ladybug grinned. "Reality!"

Ladybug's body vanished into orange mist, but the heroes didn't see due to the darkness.

From the empty window, two dark red akumas flew quickly towards them, and went into their miraculouses.

"Shell Shock, Rena Rage, welcome back." Scarlet Moth said.

...

Ladybug went through all the heroes she had given miraculouses to in her mind. Rena Rouge, check. Carapace, check. Pegasus, check. Viperion, check. King Monkey, check. Ryuko, check. Her mind wandered to Chloe, but only for a moment. Hawkmoth may have known some of their identities, but hopefully, Hawkmoth and Mayura would no longer have their miraculouses by the end of the fight. She left the rest of the miraculouses in the Miracle Box.

Ladybug landed on the building she and the other heroes had agreed to meet up on. She looked around and squinted, but saw no one coming. They were probably just a bit late. She took her yoyo and opened it, and held it to the Eiffel Tower. The yoyo showed her a close up image of the platform. She could see Hawkmoth, and a bunch of people next to him. Ladybug zoomed in, and her heart stopped when she saw the akumatised heroes.

Well, that blew up in her face.

...

Scarlet Moth looked at his army of akumatised villains. Ladybug had wanted to meet with them on the building they had hidden on when he had previously been Scarlet Moth. He turned around and looked, seeing a bright red flash of light.

Scarlet Moth stepped forward, his cane shining red light on him so that Ladybug could see him.

"Your time's almost up, Ladybug. You didn't listen to my rules, and so here you are. Outnumbered. Out powered. The only way you can allow your pet to survive is to hand over your miraculous." he called.

He saw her throw her yoyo up in the air, and catch something as it fell.

"Your Lucky Charm will not save you or your pet!"

"We'll see about that!"

...

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug said.

Her yoyo fell into her hands, followed by a small gun. Ladybug recognised it to be the exact same as the one Miraculer had used to cataclysm Chat Noir. With the gun, Miraculer was able to throw the cataclysm at Chat Noir, so maybe Ladybug could do the same?

No, Miraculer had taken Chat Noir's cataclysm, and Ladybug didn't have that power. But, she did have a box of miraculouses. Ladybug ran through each of their powers in her head, and stopped when she reached the Bee miraculous, which could temporarily freeze people.

Ladybug took the Bee miraculous out of the Miracle Box and slipped it into her hair. She heard her earrings beep. She crouched down and detransformed.

"Eat quick, Tikki." Marinette said, catching Tikki and passing her a macaron from her purse.

Tikki nodded, finishing in barely a minute.

"Tikki, Spots On!" Ladybug said. "Tikki, Pollen, Unify!"

Ladybug stood up, seeing yellow spots and black stripes pop up on her body. She put the Miracle Box on the roof, and stood up.

"Your time's almost up, Ladybug. You didn't listen to my rules, and so here you are. Outnumbered. Out powered. The only way you can allow your precious kitten to survive is to hand over your miraculous."

Ladybug ignored him. "Lucky Charm!"

The same gun fell into her hands again. Ladybug took a deep breath, holding her yoyo out to swing with one hand, and holding the gun in the other.

"Your Lucky Charm will not save you or your pet!"

"We'll see about that!" Ladybug called in response.

She swung forward on her yoyo, and landed on the tower, a confident expression on her face. She saw the akumatised heroes she had chosen earlier creep towards her. She waited until they were all close to her, and then pointed the gun at them.

"Venom!" Ladybug called, seeing yellow light flood out of the gun. The akumatised heroes froze in place. Ladybug ran up to them, and tried to break the akumatised objects, but the akumas were in the miraculouses.

"A very well thought out plan, don't you think, Ladybug? The only person who can destroy the miraculouses is Chat Noir, and he's here in my arms dying!" Scarlet Moth laughed, lying once again.

Ladybug took a step back. Mayura wasn't here, probably because she was Catalyst. So she had amplified his power through his cane. So, if Ladybug broke the cane...

Ladybug lunged forward and grabbed Scarlet Moth's cane.

"Take it, Ladybug. You're not strong enough to break it." he said.

Scarlet Moth placed his hand on Chat Noir's chest. He could feel the cat's heart beating at a regular pace.

"Oh, dear. It looks like his heartbeat is slowing down." he lied. "You can still save him, if you would just give me your earrings."

Ladybug tried to snap the cane on her leg, but it wasn't working. She looked up, and saw Scarlet Moth's miraculous, right there. If she reached out to grab it, he would simply dodge. But, if she spun the cane in her hands at just the right angle, she could knock it off him.

"Ugh! I don't know what to do!" Ladybug threw her head back dramatically.

"Give me the miraculous!"

Ladybug flicked the cane at him, and the miraculous almost came off.

Almost.

She felt hands grab her from behind, and Ladybug threw an elbow. She looked behind her and saw Pegasus fall back, and King Monkey lunge at her. Ladybug threw herself at Scarlet Moth, and tackled him to the ground. Chat Noir fell out of his arms and lay limp on the ground. Taking him would do no good, as he still needed the cure to whatever he was injected with.

Ladybug threw fists at Scarlet Moth, and he dodged them with ease.

"Give me the cure!" she yelled at him.

"Give me the miraculous! You won't will this fight, Ladybug! Not while Catalyst is still out there!" he leered at her.

Catalyst!

If Ladybug took down Catalyst, Scarlet Moth's whole team would crumble. And, if Ladybug's theory about Gabriel Agreste being Hawkmoth was right, Catalyst would probably be at the Agreste mansion...

Ladybug jumped over Scarlet Moth, and swung away, hearing her miraculouses beep.

"Don't worry, Ladybug. Go and recharge. When you come back, I'll be right here to receive your miraculous, and the Miracle Box."

Ladybug swung across the Eiffel Tower, and picked up the Miracle Box from where she left it. She zipped through the streets, and landed near the Agreste mansion.

"Tikki, Pollen, Divide. Spots Off."

Marinette caught the two exhausted kwamis in her hand and gave them both macarons from her purse. She took the Bee miraculous out of her hair and put it back into the Miracle Box.

Tikki ate as fast as she could, and hovered beside Marinette.

"Tikki, Spots On!"

Ladybug left the Miracle Box on the roof, and landed on the roof of the Agreste mansion, wondering where Catalyst would be. Ladybug paced around the building, and looked at the walls and through the windows. Then, she spotted a large window on the dome of the mansion. She peered inside, and saw a dark blue figure standing there. Ladybug smashed through the window, not caring about the broken glass.

Catalyst took a step back, and fell onto her knees in shock.

Ladybug reached forward and grabbed the tablet in her hands, and she smashed it on her knee. She quickly de-evilised the akuma, and watched as bubbles wrapped Catalyst, and revealed a grinning Mayura.

She threw a kick at Ladybug. Ladybug fell back, and jumped out of the window. She swung on her yoyo towards the Eiffel Tower, hoping the other miraculous holders would be able to take down Hawkmoth.

...

Scarlet Moth's suit changed back to purple, telling him that Catalyst's akuma had been taken. Hawkmoth looked as the heroes' suits bubbled, and returned to their original colours. They looked dazed and looked at Hawkmoth, and got into fighting stances.

"Hawkmoth!" Carapace said.

"Yes, that would be me. Do you know who this is?" Hawkmoth picked up Chat Noir's body.

"That's- that's Chat Noir!" Pegasus said.

"He's not on Hawkmoth's side, is he?" King Monkey asked.

"No. Hawkmoth had kidnapped him, and tortured him too. You're sick, Hawkmoth!" Rena Rouge said, holding her flute out threateningly.

"Me? I'm the sick one? I believe you have that mixed up. Ladybug is the sick one." Hawkmoth said.

"How? She is the hero, who has saved many lives, while you attempt to destroy lives!" Ryuko said.

"But, she will not save this life." Hawkmoth said. "He was accidentally injected with a poison, which should kill him soon. I have offered to cure him, but for a price. Ladybug was unwilling to give me her miraculous, so I am unwilling to cure him"

"And you'll just let him die?" Viperion said, taken aback.

The heroes moved and surrounded Hawkmoth. He chuckled, and frowned as he saw Chat Noir's finger twitch, a sign that the sedative was wearing out.

"I would prefer not to. You can save him, if you would just give me her miraculous. Otherwise, his death will be all your faults too." Hawkmoth said.

"We are going to get the cure, Hawkmoth. Whether you give it to us or not. Come on, we can take him!" Rena Rouge said.

"Just give Chat Noir to us, and the cure, and we'll let you go. That's the only option you have, other than failing." Ryuko said.

The circle of heroes stepped forward.

"I will give you the cure, if you bring me Ladybug's miraculous. Final offer."

"And, that was your final chance." Rena Rouge swung her flute at Hawkmoth, who dodged.

"Good job, guys!" Ladybug landed on the Eiffel Tower, Mayura a few buildings behind her. "Lucky Charm!"

A torch fell into her hands. Ladybug fumbled with it, and saw Carapace run behind her and block Mayura, who had jumped at her. Ladybug found the switch and flicked it, seeing very bright light flash out of it. She pointed it at Hawkmoth, and he raised his hands to his eyes to shield them. In doing so, he dropped Chat Noir.

Ryuko caught him and dragged him to the side of the tower, while Ladybug reached forward to grab Hawkmoth's miraculous. He dropped to his knees and swiped at her legs. Ladybug stumbled, but caught herself before she fell.

King Monkey, Ryuko, Rena Rouge and Pegasus tackled Hawkmoth to the ground.

"Hey!" Carapace said.

Ladybug turned, and saw Lila pulling on Chat Noir's hand. Ladybug leapt forward and pulled Chat Noir out of her reach.

"Lila? What are you doing? How are you here?" Ladybug asked.

"I had been akumatised, I think. I was checking to see if he was okay. He looks like he is asleep, or dead or something." Lila said, standing up.

Ladybug flinched at the word 'dead'. "Carapace? Can you take him somewhere safe?"

"Sure, Ladybug. I'll take him to that building you were talking about earlier." Carapace picked Chat Noir up and jumped off the Eiffel Tower.

Ladybug looked to the other heroes, who had successfully restrained Hawkmoth.

"Give us the cure, and we'll let you go." Ladybug said firmly. She heard her earrings beep.

"Looks like you're out of time, Ladybug. The cure is with Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Hawkmoth said.

"What? You never gave her the cure!" Ladybug said.

"How do you know, Ladybug? I suggest you go and check with her." Mayura said as she pulled Pegasus off Hawkmoth.

Hawkmoth pushed the other heroes off him, and looked around for Chat Noir.

Ladybug looked at her Lucky Charm, which had been dropped on the floor. She picked it up, and looked around desperately.

"He's up!" Ladybug heard Carapace shout from the building across from the Eiffel Tower.

Hawkmoth's grin fell. He glanced at Mayura, who looked equally worried. Their plan had failed, all because the sedative wore off to quick.

"Did you really poison him?" Ladybug asked.

"Yes! I did!" Hawkmoth said, but his voice sounded desperate and distant.

Ladybug flashed the torchlight into his face again, and he stumbled back, his hands shielding his eyes. Ryuko reached forward and grabbed the miraculous, and Hawkmoth fell back. The miraculous fell off him, revealing the face of Gabriel Agreste.

The heroes froze, and Mayura took that as her chance. She grabbed the Butterfly miraculous and Gabriel and carried them away, jumping off the Eiffel Tower.

"G-Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth..." Rena Rouge started.

Ladybug took a deep breath. "We'll worry about that later. Miraculous Ladybug!"

She threw the torch in the air and allowed the magic to reverse the damage done. Her earrings beeped again.

"I think we should attack before they recover. You guys meet at the building, I'll get the Miracle Box from where I left it." Ladybug swung away, and the other heroes ran to the building Carapace and Chat Noir were on.

Ladybug landed on the building she left the Miracle Box on and sat down, detransforming.

"Eat quick, Tikki."

Tikki nodded, digesting her food, while Marinette digested the fact about Gabriel Agreste being Hawkmoth. The two sat in silence for a while, then Tikki nodded to her.

"Tikki, Spots On!"

Ladybug clutched the Miracle Box close as she swung through the streets. She landed on the building the heroes had met up at, and looked around confused.

Chat Noir was on the corner of the roof, trying to stand, while the other heroes were scattered about, talking about loads of stuff. Ladybug walked over to him and put the Miracle Box on the roof.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, just a bit tired. What happened? Aren't I supposed to be, you know, dead?" Chat Noir asked, stretching himself.

"I don't think Hawkmoth actually poisoned you, he probably just gave you a sleep potion or something." Ladybug said. "And, we learnt Hawkmoth's identity."

Chat Noir froze. "And who is he?"

"Gabriel Agreste." Ryuko said, coming forward. "He also has an assistant, Nathalie, who may be Mayura."

Chat Noir sat down, and Ladybug helped him back up. His father was Hawkmoth. His father had drugged him. His father had been torturing him. His father had almost killed him. His father was the villain he and Ladybug had been fighting. His father.

"So, what's the plan? He had a good one, so we should have an even better plan." Carapace said.

"I think we should have a distraction, then we-" Ladybug started, holding Chat Noir up.

"Hey! Superheroes! I'm stuck over here!" Lila shouted from the Eiffel Tower.

"I'll get her and bring her home." Rena Rouge said as she jumped off the building.

"Okay. What distraction?" Pegasus asked.

"An illusion would be an obvious choice, but would easily get destroyed." Ryuko said.

"Unless Carapace protects it with his shield." Ladybug said.

"Superpower shield or this shield?" Carapace gestured to the shield on his back.

"Superpower shield. So then, I think you'll need to be with the illusion itself." Ladybug said.

"Okay, then what?" Pegasus asked.

"Someone should get close to Hawkmoth, if he's there, and Mayura, and swipe their miraculous."

"I think I should, as I will be able to reset the time if something goes wrong." Viperion said.

"Ryuko and Pegasus can you help him." Ladybug said.

Rena Rouge landed on the roof. "Hey guys. Lila said she could make it home by herself, so she's going now. Have we come up with a plan yet?"

"Yes. Pegasus teleports us there, you would create an illusion as a distraction, and Carapace would protect it with his shield. Viperion, Ryuko ad Pegasus would sneak up behind Hawkmoth and Mayura, and try to get their miraculouses."

"Sounds good. I can go in the shield with Carapace too, so we can ambush them if the shield falls. But, what if it doesn't work? Like, they may have a bunch of akumatised people at their place."

"They would have to use their superpowers for that, and I know someone who's good at messing up powers..." Ladybug looked at King Monkey.

"Me!" King Monkey said.

Ladybug nodded.

"H-how do you know he's really Hawkmoth?" Chat Noir asked.

"Ryuko managed to pull Hawkmoth's miraculous off him, and he detransformed into Gabriel Agreste." Ladybug told him.

"Mayura took him and the miraculouses back though, but we still, sort of, have the upper hand." Carapace said.

"B-b-but maybe he was just wearing a mask, or something..." Chat Noir said.

"We unmasked him. I really doubt that his face was a mask." Rena Rouge said.

"He can't be Hawkmoth, he just can't!" Chat Noir whined.

"Why not? The guy is Gabriel Agreste, and that's a fact." Rena Rouge said, getting a bit frustrated with his denial.

"No, no, he can't be!" Chat Noir's legs gave way and he fell onto the roof.

Ladybug crouched down. "Are you okay, kitten?"

"He can't be Hawkmoth, he just can't!" Chat Noir whispered to Ladybug, his cheeks going wet.

"He is, and we need to accept that, even if it hurts." Ladybug said softly.

Chat Noir shook his head and buried his face in his hands.

His father was Hawkmoth, and there was nothing he could do about it.

...

"You said he would be unconscious for a few hours!" Gabriel yelled at Mayura.

"He was supposed to, the miraculous magic must have been stronger than we thought..."

"And now they know my identity. They probably know who you are too." Gabriel said, snatching the Butterfly miraculous and transforming.

"Then let's come up with a plan. They're probably going to come here, so lets set up a trap." Mayura said.

"A trap? What will a trap do against almost ten superheroes?" Hawkmoth said.

"If used well, a trap will be able to take down the weakest member easily."

"And we'll use him against them, and there will be a fight, and we will lose!" Hawkmoth yelled, smashing his hands on the table.

"We can still use him to our advantage. Hurt him in front of them, and they'll have to give the miraculouses to us. Or hurt Ladybug, he'll be very willing to give himself up for her." Mayura said. "Come on, we've come so far! It's time we finish this."

...

"Ready?" Ladybug asked.

Pegasus, King Monkey, Ryuko, Rena Rouge, Carapace and Viperion nodded confidently. Ladybug looked to Chat Noir and frowned.

"You guys go on ahead and get into position around the Agreste mansion. We'll catch up." Ladybug said.

The other heroes nodded and jumped across the rooftops, leaving Chat Noir and Ladybug alone.

"Do you want to sit this one out?" Ladybug asked.

Chat Noir shook his head.

"Are you upset about Hawkmoth being Gabriel Agreste, or something else?"

"A bunch of stuff..." he brought his knees to his chest and rested his head on his knees.

"What stuff?"

"His identity, Mayura's identity, and how this is probably going to be it."

"It?"

"Yeah. They get defeated, and then that's that. Nothing left. No reason to do anything anymore. And we'll... just disappear. We'll never see each other again..."

"Oh, kitten...." Ladybug brought Chat Noir into a hug. "I promise we won't just disappear. I'll always be here with you, okay?"

...

Rena Rouge sat on the roof beside Carapace, waiting for Ladybug and Chat Noir to show up.

"Shall we just start? They'll come when they're ready, and we should attack as soon as possible." King Monkey said.

Rena Rouge stood up. "Yeah! We can totally take them! Pegasus, open the portal as soon as Carapace and I get inside."

She and Carapace jumped onto the ground.

"Illusion!"

An illusion of all the other heroes showed up behind Carapace and Rena Rouge. She stepped forward and smashed the window, and jumped inside. Carapace followed, the illusions behind him.

"Shelter!"

A protective shield came around him, Rena Rouge and the illusions.

"Heroes! I was wondering when you would arrive!" Hawkmoth said, walking towards them with open arms.

"We are here for your miraculous!" Rena Rouge yelled, loud enough for the others on the roof to hear.

...

"We are here for your miraculous!" Pegasus heard Rena Rouge yell.

"That's the signal." Viperion said.

"Yes. Stand here. I'll open the portal beneath our feet, and I'll need you to activate your power now, Viperion."

"Second Chance!" Viperion pushed the snake's head back.

"Good. Voyage!" Pegasus said.

A ring appeared around Pegasus's wrist, and he threw it at the roof they were on. A large portal appeared beneath their feet, and the four heroes fell through, and landed in Gabriel Agreste's office. They landed quietly, so no one heard or saw them. Both Hawkmoth and Mayura's attention was on Carapace, Rena Rouge and the illusions.

Viperion ran forward and threw his arms around Hawkmoth, his fingers reaching for the miraculous. He felt the miraculous come off slighlty, then looked to his left, where Mayura had kicked the miraculous of King Monkey's head. Viperion flicked the head of the snake back again.

He pointed to Mayura, signalling to King Monkey and Pegasus that they were to attack her. Viperion slid between her legs and pulled on her ankles, causing her to fall onto the ground. King Monkey restained her wrists, and Pegasus took her miraculous and slid it to the door to stop Nathalie from getting it back.

"You were correct, Ryuko!" Pegasus said, as Nathalie looked around angrily.

Nathalie stood up and tried to fight them, but she was quickly overwhelmed again. Carapace brought down his shield, and he and Rena Rouge lunged at Hawkmoth. He dodged and let them fall onto the floor behind him.

Ladybug landed in the window frame, and picked up the Peacock miraculous that was on the floor. Nathalie swiped at her feet and Ladybug fell over, dropping the miraculous. Nathalie caught it and put it back on.

"Duusu, Spread My Feathers!"

Pegasus, King Monkey, Rena Rouge and Carapace fought Mayura, backing her against the wall. Ryuko stuck her leg out and tripped her. Carapace leaned forward and tried pulling off Mayura's brooch, but she kicked him against the opposite wall.

"Where is your pet, Ladybug?" Hawkmoth asked, grinning at her.

"He wanted to sit this one out." Ladybug lied. She jumped beside the door to the office and swung her yoyo at Hawkmoth's feet. She pulled the string and he fell onto his back. A black shadow stalked the wall of the office, and reached forward when Hawkmoth wasn't looking. He pulled Hawkmoth's miraculous off, and Hawkmoth detransformed.

"It really is you..." Chat Noir whispered as he fell back in shock as Gabriel Agreste looked at him angrily.

Gabriel tried to grab the miraculous from Chat Noir's hand, and Chat Noir backed up against the wall in fear. Ladybug went to help him, when she tripped over a blue foot. She lunged at Mayura.

"Give me the miraculous, kitten." Gabriel stood up, and held out his hand.

"N-no-"

"What did we say about you having a choice?" Mayura asked, pinching at Ladybug's ears, while dodging kicks and punches from the other heroes.

"We said- we- we said I didn't have one..." Chat Noir stuttered, his back reaching the corner of the office. He looked around and tried to call Ladybug for help, when his voice cracked from fear.

"So, what should you do?" Gabriel asked, looking down at the cat.

"I, uh, should g-give you the miraculous..." Chat Noir lowered his head.

"Yes. Give it here, and you won't get hurt again."

"No, I can't-"

Gabriel raised his foot and kicked Chat Noir in the stomach. Chat Noir grunted in response, and brought his left arm out to protect him.

"Your arm instead? Fine with me." Gabriel jumped down on his arm.

"No! Please! Stop!" Chat Noir screamed out as the newly formed bone started to crack again under the pressure Hawkmoth was putting on it. The pressure his own father was putting on it. He felt tears roll out from his eyes again.

"More waterworks, kitten? That reminds me of when you wet yourself!" Gabriel said loudly, so everyone could hear.

Chat Noir felt several heads turn to him, and he looked down in shame.

"You didn't have a choice, Chat Noir! You just did what you had t-" Ladybug said, trying to get closer. Mayura attacked her again.

"Oh, but he did have a choice. We said he could tell us something important, or drink more water. He chose to wet himself, no one made him." Mayura said.

"Stand up." Gabriel said.

Chat Noir stood up instinctively, because he didn't want to get hurt, and he didn't want his own father to be angry with him again.

"Give me the miraculous and I'll let you go."

Chat Noir shook his head and Gabriel sighed.

"You could have made this so much easier for yourself..." Gabriel quickly stepped behind Chat Noir and tried to pry the Butterfly miraculous from his fingers.

Chat Noir threw the miraculous to Ladybug, and she caught it in her hand.

"Ladybug, give the miraculous to me." Gabriel said. He pushed Chat Noir to the floor and rolled him over, so he was lying on his back. Gabriel pressed the heel of his shoe into Chat Noir's stab wound. Chat Noir squirmed and writed in pain as he tried to push the foot away. "You don't want him to get even more hurt, do you?"

"No, stop!" Ladybug cried.

"I'll stop if you give me my miraculous."

Ryuko used her speed to flash an attack at Gabriel. She pushed him against the wall, and his foot came off Chat Noir's stomach. Ladybug ran forward and picked him up, and brought him to the other side of the room. The other heroes started fighting Mayura, trying to grab her miraculous.

Ladybug sat Chat Noir down on a chair, and looked at his hands, which were wrapped around his lower stomach. He was shaking and breathing heavily.

"Just stay here, okay?" Ladybug said to him. He nodded in response.

"Look after this for me." Ladybug slipped the Butterfly miraculous into his shaking hands, and he nodded again.

Ladybug threw her yoyo around Mayura's waist and pulled her. Pegasus pulled the fan out of her hands and threw it to the wall.

"No!" Mayura cried as Rena Rouge knocked the brooch off her with her flute.

Blue light flashed around the office, and Ladybug picked up the Peacock miraculous.

"Here you go, kitten." Ladybug handed the miraculous to Chat Noir.

She picked up the phone on the desk and called the police. With her hand, she gestured to the other heroes to bring Gabriel and Nathalie outside. They nodded and took them outside, keeping a close eye on them.

Chat Noir leaned back on the chair and closed his eyes, cradling his broken arm.

"Come on, let's go." Ladybug said to him once she had finished talking to the police and put the phone down.

Chat Noir nodded and shakily stood up, leaning on Ladybug slightly. He felt something hit his ankles from behind, and he fell back, dropping the miraculouses in the doorway. Ladybug helped him up again, and they chased a shadowy figure than ran up the stairs and into Adrien's bedroom.

Ladybug ran into the room, and looked around.

"Nooroo, Darkwings Rise! Nooroo, Duusu, Unify!"

A purple and blue figure swept towards Ladybug and knocked her off her feet. The figure ran through the doorway and kicked Chat Noir hard in his lower stomach. He fell back, gasping, and watched as the figure knocked the front doors open and ran outside. Ladybug helped him up.

"Did you see who that was?" Ladybug asked him.

"No." Chat Noir leaned on her as she helped him walk down the stairs.

"Hang on for a minute." Ladybug gently pressed her hand against him lower stomach, and heard him whimper and saw him close his eyes. "Now that Paris knows your innocent, how about you get your arm and stomach and... all of you, checked out at the hospital?"

"But I'll heal faster with the miraculous magic. I'll be fine."

Ladybug froze as she remembered something.

"What's wrong?"

"I left the Miracle Box on that roof we were on."

"Go and get it."

"And just leave you here? No way."

"Please, Ladybug. I'll be fine. Get it before someone, or that person we just bumped into, gets it."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Of course I will!"

Ladybug let Chat Noir stand by himself, and his right hand went around his left arm and stomach. She bit her lip and took a deep breath.

"I'll go and get the Miracle Box, but make sure you get medical help for your arm and stomach and everything, alright?"

Chat Noir nodded. "What about the other heroes?"

"I'll take their miraculouses back once I get the Miracle Box back." Ladybug took her yoyo off her waist.

She threw the yoyo across to the next building, and smiled to Chat Noir. He returned it and she zipped away.

...

Lila landed on the windowsill and opened the window. She crept into Marinette's bedroom and detransformed.

"Marinette? Are you awake?"

Lila heard no response. Marinette was such a deep sleeper.

"You two, Nooroo and Duusu, right?"

"Yes, that is us." Nooroo said.

"I thought you already knew our names. Did you forget?" Duusu asked, getting upset.

"No, I didn't forget, I just wanted to make sure I pronounced them right. I am very sorry if I sounded a bit rude back there, I was panicking." Lila smiled sweetly at them.

"Oh, that is fine... miss."

"My name is Lila."

"Oh, what a nice name!" Duusu said.

"Thank you so much! Do you know who Ladybug and Chat Noir are? I'm sure they have nice names too."

"No, we don't know who they are. Sorry."

"It's fine." Lila said, sighing.

...

"Hey, Chat Noir, where did Ladybug go? I'm about to detransform." Rena Rouge asked.

"Same." Pegasus said.

"Me, too." Carapace said.

"Yeah, me as well." Viperion said.

"Such young children you are!" Gabriel said, laughing. Nathalie chuckled beside him.

"Ryuko, King Monkey, are you guys fine?" Chat Noir asked.

"Yes, we have not used out powers yet." Ryuko said.

Gabriel stood up, brushing the little stones off his clothes. Nathalie raised an eyebrow and got ready to do the same.

"Perhaps you should go around the corner and wait for Ladybug. Chat Noir can't do anything without her." Gabriel said.

"I can..." Chat Noir said quietly.

"Well, just a moment ago, you couldn't even walk by yourself." Nathalie said, standing up.

"I could, it was just-"

"Oh, your poor little stomach was hurting, was it?" Nathalie said. She stepped forward towards him, grinning as he backed away. She put on a mock sad face. "Is Chat Noir scared?"

"Not a very brave kitten, are you?" Gabriel snickered.

Several of the miraculouses beeped again as the final minute ticked away.

"Uh, we are just going to go and detransform behind the wall. I think I had a biscuit in my pocket, we can split it for the kwamis." Rena Rouge said quickly, going behind the wall.

Carapace, Pegasus and Viperion followed her. A few moments later, bright multicoloured light flashed from behind the wall.

"Ah, hello, Kagami. I was wondering when I would see you again. You look good as Ryuko." Gabriel said to Ryuko.

"Kagami? Woah..." King Monkey turned to her. "My friend has said a lot about you. Apparently, you are good at fencing."

"My identity is not supposed to be known to you, but very well. Yes, I am. Would you like to fence with me?"

"Sure." King Monkey picked up a twig from the ground.

Ryuko took her sword out.

"I can totally beat you. You got them, Chat Noir?" King Monkey asked him, referring to Nathalie and Gabriel.

King Monkey and Ryuko were not looking at Chat Noir, so Gabriel and Nathalie made the most of the opportunity.

"Tell them you can handle us." Nathalie said quietly, as Gabriel stepped forward and grasped Chat Noir's left arm.

"No- no-" Chat Noir muttered, trying to pull his broken arm out of their grasp.

Gabriel dug his fingers into the crack in the bone, and Chat Noir whimpered quietly.

"Tell them you can handle us." Nathalie repeated.

"Y-yeah, I can handle them!" Chat Noir called to King Monkey and Ryuko, who had already started to fence. His voice was high.

"Do not make any loud sounds." Gabriel said, tightening his grip. "They care so much about you, don't they?"

"Yes-s..." Chat Noir whispered, hearing the other heroes laughing on the other side of the wall.

Gabriel squeezed Chat Noir's arm tighter.

"No."

"Well done, kitten. You learnt so much when you were with us, didn't you?"

"Y-yes..." Chat Noir slid down the wall, the hot agony searing through him.

Gabriel looked to Nathalie, and she pulled something small out of her pocket.

"That's- that's the camera thing." Chat Noir stuttered.

"Yes, it is. You are going to put it on the Miracle Box when Ladybug gets back."

"No, no. I can't!" Chat Noir cried out.

"I think you can. More pain, or put the tracker on the Miracle Box. You choose."

Chat Noir closed his eyes tight.

"More pain..." Chat Noir whispered.

"What do you want? Ask for it." Nathalie said.

"I want you to hurt me." Chat Noir whispered. Gabriel squeezed his arm tighter, making him gasp and taste the tears he didn't realise he had been crying.

"Look at me and say it. Mean it." Gabriel said.

Chat Noir looked up into his father's eyes. "I want you to hurt me, Fathe-"

Chat Noir tried to stop himself, but it was too late.


	16. Chapter 16

Nathalie and Gabriel froze.

"What did you- what did you call me?" Gabriel's icy voice was close to inaudible, but it was all Chat Noir heard.

"I- I didn't mean to- you just-" Chat Noir stuttered.

Gabriel took a step back, processing.

His son was Chat Noir.

Chat Noir was his son.

It made sense, although it confused him all the same.

Nathalie looked to the other heroes, who didn't seem to have heard anything that had just happened. She looked to Gabriel, who was staring into space, breathing heavy breaths. He looked at Chat Noir.

"You are not my son. You will never be my son." Gabriel said quickly, his words jumbling together slightly.

He took something small and shiny from his pocket. A tiny dagger with a small ball on the end. His fingers grasped around it, and his hand pressed forward into Chat Noir's lower stomach. Chat Noir screamed, feeling the object press sharply in the stab would. His knees gave way and he collapsed onto the ground.

"You are not him!" Gabriel screamed. He buried the object further into Chat Noir's stomach and twisted it agonising, feeling sick rage coursing through his veins.

"No, sir, don't!" Nathalie cried, trying to pull Gabriel's arm away.

"I can do what I want, he is my son! He will pay for being Chat Noir! For defying me!" Gabriel screamed.

He pulled the dagger out of Chat Noir's stomach, seeing that the little ball was no longer on the tip of the blade. He aimed and attempted to stab Chat Noir's head with the dagger, but Chat Noir dodged.

The other heroes tranformed and rushed over with panic stricken faces.

"Sir, stop!" Nathalie cried, trying to remove the dagger from his hand.

Rena Rouge pulled Nathalie away, and King Monkey and Ryuko pried the dagger from Gabriel's grasp. Gabriel shook them off and threw punches and kicks at Chat Noir, trying to hurt him in a way he will never recover.

Pegasus and Viperion took his wrists and pushed him to the ground. Carapace ran over to Chat Noir and helped him walk to somewhere safer.

Sirens sounded in the distance.

...

Ladybug landed on the building and spotted the Miracle Box on the other side. She walked over to it, and picked it up. She opened it and checked all of the miraculouses were there, and closed it again. She took her yoyo and zipped to the Agreste mansion, spotting the police cars heading in the same direction.

She landed beside the wall and looked around, trying to make sense of the situation. There was blood splattered beside where Gabriel was, and he was being restrained on the ground. Nathalie's mouth was moving, and she looked like she was talking into her hand.

"What happened here?" Ladybug asked Rena Rouge.

"Gabriel attacked Chat Noir with this little knife thing." Rena Rouge said, gesturing to the bloody blade Ryuko was holding.

"Where?"

"He attacked Chat Noir over here." Ryuko gestured to the splattered blood on the floor. "He got hit in, I think, his lower stomach."

"No, no, no!" Ladybug muttered to herself.

She looked around for Chat Noir, but didn't see him anywhere.

"Chat Noir?" she called out.

"I'm here." his voice was strained and rough.

"Are you okay?"

Silence.

Ladybug passed the Miracle Box to Ryuko, and looked around the wall, seeing Chat Noir sitting on the steps to the mansion with his hands over his face. Carapace was trying to comfort him, but it didn't look like he was succeeding.

"Hey kitten..." Ladybug said, sitting on the step above Chat Noir.

She crossed her legs and let him rest his head on them. She gently pulled his hands away from his face and wiped some of his tears away.

"Just wait a little bit longer, they will be here soon."

"No... no... please..."

"What is it?"

"Don't- I don't want to go to the hospital-"

"But, you have too. You have been... injured again."

"B-but then they're going to ask me a bunch of questions- and- and- my identity- and I just can't deal with that. Please, Ladybug, please, don't make me."

"But then how are you going to heal?" Ladybug asked, looking at the stab wound Carapace was covering with a towel.

"The miraculous will help me heal, like it did last time. And- and you can help, like you did last time." Chat Noir said.

"Last time?" Carapace asked, concerned.

"Yeah, he had been... stabbed before. In that same spot..." Ladybug said.

"Ouch..." Carapace said, pressing the towel a bit harder to keep pressure on it.

Chat Noir whimpered, his nails digging into the steps as he shut his eyes tight.

"You're going to be fine, don't worry." Ladybug said, running her hands through his hair in a soothing way.

She looked to the road, and saw a few police cars turning the corner quickly.

"Are you sure you don't want to? They can make it stop hurting." Ladybug said, trying to convince him to get help. She didn't want to force him, though. He had had enough trauma recently.

"I don't want to, please..." Chat Noir said, shaking his head.

Ladybug shut her eyes for a moment, making a quick decision.

"Carapace, take one of the other heroes and take Chat Noir somewhere safe. You should be able to contact me through his baton. Call me if anything, _anything_ , happens"

Carapace nodded and called Rena Rouge over. Together, the pair helped Chat Noir jump onto the roof, then run somewhere. Ladybug opened her yoyo, making sure she could track them.

She walked over to the police who were getting out of the car. She explained the situation and saw Gabriel and Nathalie get into two separate police cars, and get driven away.

...

Lila woke up unwillingly. Her phone was buzzing and she didn't want one of the kwamis looking through her phone. She looked at the contact calling her, and frowned when she saw an unknown number was calling her. She pressed the 'answer call' button.

"-eed your help. Police are coming. Tell no one." Nathalie's voice came through the line.

Then the line disconnected. The room was silent.

"Lila? What are you going to do?" Nooroo asked, hovering beside her.

"This is a big decision. If you choose to help them, you'll be a criminal. Oh! I don't want you to become a criminal! Please don't go, Lila!" Duusu said, her eyes dampening.

Lila was silent, thinking. If she didn't go, life would continue as normal, sort of. If she did help them, they would be free, and would probably try to take the miraculouses off her. Or, they could help her improve her powers.

Improve her powers, for what? What did Gabriel and Nathalie want? Curiosity sparked in Lila's chest.

"I'm going to go, to see what they want." Lila said to the kwamis, choosing her words carefully.

"No!" Duusu cried.

Nooroo was silent, too used to not being allowed to give his opinion.

"I'm going to go, to see what they want." Lila repeated, as if she was trying to convince herself of her decision. "Yes. Duusu, Spread My Feathers! Duusu, Nooroo, Unify!"

Lila widened her eyes as a wave of drowsiness passed over her, like when she had used both the miraculouses at the same time earlier. She shook her head and opened the window, stepping out into the night. She heard sirens, and followed the sound.

...

Chat Noir let himself be carried away by Carapace and Rena Rouge. He could tell they thought he was making the wrong decision, but he really didn't want to go to the hospital.

He didn't want to put his identity in jeopardy, and he had already recovered from a stab wound before. The only difference was that this time he was stabbed with a little dagger. He would recover even faster, surely.

And he had never really been to the hospital much. He couldn't remember the last time he had gone, or if he ever had. His father had always called doctors to the house, to keep him safe.

Safe.

As if he was ever safe at home with all those secrets.

Hospital itself seemed like such a frightening thing to him. All alone, with his life resting in the hands of someone he barely knew. It reminded him too much of when Hawkmoth and Mayura had kidnapped and tortured him. He didn't want to remember that.

His hands pawed helplessly at the wound as Rena Rouge pressed a towel into it. He whined as Carapace and Rena Rouge carried him as they jumped over a building and landed, gently putting on a roof. Rena Rouge pulled his hands away from his stomach, and made him lie on his back.

Chat Noir brought one of his arms over his eyes, so the other two heroes didn't see him cry. His toes curled and his back arched slightly as they moved the towel, keeping pressure on it and soaking up the blood that was oozing out.

...

Ladybug looked at the police cars as they drove Gabriel and Nathalie away. Several police officers stayed behind, cutting off the area with police tape. She looked to the other miraculous holders beside her.

"I'm not sure how dangerous this new Butterfly and Peacock miraculous holder is, so, as a precaution, let's say they are very dangerous. Make sure you watch your backs and tell no one about your identity. If you get any information and want to get it to me, tell Alya Césaire. She's the Ladyblogger and will be able to post information on the Ladyblog." Ladybug said, despite knowing all the other heroes knew Alya personally. 

"Did you see what the miraculous holder looked like?" Ryuko asked.

"I'm pretty sure the holder was a she. I think they also had long brownish hair, too." Kink Monkey said.

"It looked like she was roughly our height." Pegasus said.

"Maybe we can set a trap, to lure her out?" Viperion suggested.

"Yeah!" King Monkey said.

"Do any of you know each other's identities?" Ladybug asked, thinking.

"I know Ryuko is Kagami-" King Monkey started.

"Hey!" Ryuko said.

"Oh, right, sorry..." King Monkey said.

Ladybug looked back at the mansion, ignoring the bickering happening next to her.

"Did any of you notice that Hawkmoth and Mayura were trying to push us closer to the window?" Ladybug asked, remembering how Hawkmoth and Mayura had been quite defensive of the wall in the office.

"Yes. Perhaps they were hiding something?" Pegasus said.

Ladybug nodded. "Let's take a look."

Ryuko looked at the Miracle Box in her arms, and followed Ladybug and the other heroes as they climbed in through the broken window.

"Hang on for a minute." Officer Raincomprix said, standing in the way. "This is a crime scene!"

"We understand, we just want to look around." Ladybug said.

Officer Raincomprix raised an eyebrow. These people were superheroes, and should be able to look around, right?

"I'll let you look around, but I'm coming too."

Ladybug nodded. She looked around the office, seeing glass shards on the floor. She walked over to the far wall, seeing a portrait of a blonde woman.

"Do you know who this is?" she asked.

"Since this is the Agreste mansion, I think it would be safe to assume that this is Emilie Agreste. She is- was Gabriel Agreste's wife." Pegasus said.

Around the room, three walls were damaged with cracks and bumps, evidence of the fight that had taken place there. The wall with the portrait seemed almost perfect.

"Hey, maybe there's something behind the portrait!" King Monkey joked.

Ladybug's eyes widened as she realised it was likely. She used her fingers to pry open the side, and gasped when the painting swung open like a door. She looked inside, seeing a safe. She frowned, and stepped out of the way so that Pegasus could look at it.

"Fingerprints here... and here..." he muttered, squinting at the keys.

He pressed a few in a random order, and a small red light flashed, showing him it was wrong. He rearranged the numbers and pressed them again, and a green light flashed instead. He opened the safe, and looked inside it at the contents within.

"Tibet..." Ladybug read, looking at the front cover of the book. She scanned the other objects in the safe. "I don't think there's any supervillain-y things in here."

"There has to be! The guy has a secret safe and he doesn't have any secrets in it? That doesn't make sense!" King Monkey burst.

"Maybe we just need to dig a bit deeper." Ladybug looked at her yoyo. "Lucky Charm!"

A colouring book fell into her hands. She frowned, flicking through the pages, seeing the same black and white image printed on each of the pages.

"There are numbers. Maybe it's a code?" Ryuko asked.

"Not a code. One of those colour-by-number things." Pegasus said.

Ladybug picked up a pencil from the desk and quickly scribbled on the page using the key.

"These triangles have numbers, but the numbers aren't assigned to any colour." she said, pointing to the blank spaces on the page.

Pegasus looked over her shoulder. "That's it!"

"What?"

"That's it! The portrait!" Pegasus said.

He pointed to the portrait, then the colouring book. Ladybug held it up, and marked the uncoloured triangles on the portrait.

"Hang on for a minute, let me recharge quickly." Ladybug said as she jumped out of the window and detransformed.

King Monkey looked at Officer Raincomprix. "So, I hear you're a police officer. Let's talk about that."

Officer Raincomprix sighed, and examined the portrait closely. A few minutes later, Ladybug returned.

Viperion stepped forward and pressed the marked triangles, jumping back when a small sound was heard. A small circular platform appeared where he had been standing on the floor.

The heroes and Officer Raincomprix looked at it, baffled. Ladybug stepped on it, followed by King Monkey. There was no more space on the circle. A whirring sound was heard, and the platform lowered, bringing Ladybug and King Monkey down.

Pegasus, Ryuko and Officer Raincomprix stared at them in surprise.

"He's Batman!" they heard King Monkey yell just before the floor sealed up again.

...

Lila landed on a street lamp and thought about how she could get Gabriel and Nathalie free. Lila looked at her fan, and plucked off a white feather. She looked at it, unsure of what to do next. Normally, the feathers were dark when they gave people powers, so maybe she should trap it in darkness?

Lila enclosed her other hand around it, and watched in awe and it turned blue. She blew it away, and saw it slip into one of the police cars. Lila waited a few moments, and a mask appeared above her face.

"Nathalie-" Lila said, still surprised at what she was doing.

"Lila. You are already learning how to use the miraculous. I'm pleased." Nathalie said through the mask.

"I- yes. How did you know I had the miraculous?" Lila asked.

Nathalie raised an eyebrow. "Other than the heroes, you were the only other person who had known our identities. It makes sense."

Lila nodded. "I am going to make a sentimonster, which will help you get free..."

"Thank you." Nathalie said.

Lila cut off the connection between them. She was still unsure of what she was doing, but she wouldn't go back now. She saw blue bubbles pop inside the car, and then a small bird with a long beak fly out, unlocking the car door. Nathalie ran out and grinned at Lila

Lila couldn't help but feel pride as the first ever sentimonster she had ever created destroyed a car door in a few seconds. Nathalie pulled Gabriel out of the car, and gestured to Lila to come down.

Lila jumped down and picked them up, jumping onto the roof and running away.

...

Ladybug took her yoyo off her waist and called Officer Raincomprix.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"This is Ladybug. I figured I would call you so we can keep in touch."

"Good idea, Ladybug. I've put you on speaker phone so the others can hear you too. What can you see?" he asked.

"So far, nothin-" Ladybug started.

"Hey! Look! There's this glow-y thing at the end of this really big thing." King Monkey said, pointing as a large room with a white cylinder at the end came into view.

"Amazing descriptions, King Monkey." Ladybug said sarcastically.

"Woah, that water looks murky... so, how am I supposed to swim in it?" King Monkey muttered to himself.

Ladybug cast him a concerned look.

"I don't think you will be doing any swimming." Ladybug said to him. She spoke into her bug phone. "I can see a bridge that goes over water. It looks shallow, but it's also murky."

"I suggest you don't go into the water, Ladybug." Officer Raincomprix said through the bug phone.

"We won't, don't worry." Ladybug said.

The elevator reached the floor and stopped. King Monkey and Ladybug stepped onto the metal platform and cautiously walked to the white cylinder at the end. Ladybug took pictures on her bug phone.

They reached the end and looked at the cylinder. King Monkey crouched down and poked it, and stepped back as the white surface slid away, revealing Emilie Agreste.

...

Lila landed on a roof far away, and let Gabriel and Nathalie stand themselves. She snapped her fingers, releasing the amok from the sentimonster she had created. Nathalie looked nervously at Gabriel. His face was pale, and his hand was clenched around a small remote. Nathalie looked at it, and brought his hand closer to her so she could see.

"Sir, what are you doing?" Nathalie asked, trying to get him to let go.

Gabriel continued to stare into space, but spoke to her.

"I'm hurting him." he said, his voice cold and threatening.

Nathalie wasn't fazed.

"What do you mean?" Lila asked, playing with her fan.

"The dagger had the- the thing on it. I don't remember what it was called." he said.

Nathalie's eyes widened. Her mind flashed back to the dagger he had been holding when he stabbed Chat Noir a few minutes ago.

"No, he's your son! You can't do that to him!"

"He is not my son!" Gabriel snapped at her. He met her eyes, and she saw pure rage within them.

"Am I missing something here? I'm confused. Since I saved you, I think you owe me an explanation." Lila said, mainly to Nathalie, as Gabriel was staring into space again.

"We- I made a small device, around the size of a marble, that was designed to cause pain when that button was pressed." Nathalie said, pointing to the button Gabriel's finger was pressed on.

Lila's eyes widened.

"It was on the end of the dagger Chat Noir was stabbed with, and I fear it's now inside Chat Noir." Nathalie continued.

"You fear?" Gabriel said quietly.

"I- what?" Nathalie said, confused.

"You said you fear it is inside him. Why do you fear it?"

"Well, I just didn't know for sur-"

"It is. I know it is. But why do you _fear_ it is inside him? Don't you want him to be in pain? Don't you want him to be punished?" Gabriel asked her.

"Do you? Do you want him to be in pain?" Nathalie asked him, hiding her shock.

"Yes. I do." Gabriel said, pressing harder on the button. "He deserves it."

"For what?" Nathalie said, appalled.

"For defying me! For not giving me his miraculous! For having secrets! For everything! This is all his fault!" Gabriel screamed.

Lila looked at them both, her heart beating quickly.

"Who are we talking about?" Lila asked.

"It does not matter who he is!" Gabriel yelled at her. "He is a failure! He deserves this!"

He lunged at the brooches on her chest, trying to get them back. Lila stepped back quickly.

"You're on your own. I'm sorry, but I don't want this." Lila said, about to run away.

Gabriel chuckled darkly. "But you wanted Marinette to get hurt, didn't you?"

"I- didn't want to hurt her _this_ much!" Lila gestured to the remote in his hand.

"He deserves being hurt _this_ much."

Lila stared at him in horror. He had always seemed like a reasonable person, but Lila was disgusted at what he had become. She ran off into the night, leaving Gabriel and Nathalie to do as they please.

She could have stopped them. She could have turned them in. But then they would reveal her identity, and she didn't want that.

...

Chat Noir sat up and looked at his stomach. He tried to control his breathing, but it was getting hard to breathe without moving his stomach.

"You okay? You look pale." Carapace said looking at his face.

"Well yeah- I j-just got st-stabbed, r-r-right?" Chat Noir said, trying to lighten the mood to distract himself.

"Please don't make jokes, this is serious." Rena Rouge said. 

"Oh- o-okay. S-s-sorry." Chat Noir stuttered.

Rena Rouge was about to apologise, when he screamed.

Chat Noir curled up into a ball, gasping, shoving the towel away. He wrapped his arms around his lower stomach and rolled over, trying to rid himself of the sudden agony that exploded in his lower stomach.

"Woah, what's going on? What happened?" Carapace stood up and looked at him, seeing several beads of sweat appear on his forehead.

"I don't know, he was fine just a second ago-" Rena Rouge said, panicking.

She saw the baton on his back and opened it, calling Ladybug.

...

Ladybug looked at her bug phone and saw that Chat Noir was calling her. She pressed the 'answer' button, and saw Rena Rouge's worried face show up.

"Rena Rouge? What's wrong? Is Chat Noir okay? Where is he?" Ladybug asked quickly.

"He- he's right here, but he just suddenly started screaming. I don't know what's going on-" Rena Rouge replied.

"Oh no..." Officer Raincomprix's said.

"What?" Ladybug asked, hoping another problem wouldn't arise.

"Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur. They've managed to escape somehow." Officer Raincomprix said.

"What? No!" Ladybug cried. "Okay, um, Pegasus, you check on Chat Noir. Rena Rouge says they're at the building we were on earlier."

"Okay, Ladybug. I'll be there in a minute." Pegasus said to Ladybug through the phone.

"Good. King Monkey and I are going to come up. Viperion and Ryuko, you go to where Gabriel and Nathalie were last seen. Try to find them again, and bring the police with you."

"Will do, Ladybug." Viperion and Ryuko said through the phone.

"Good. Officer Raincomprix, we'll be right up." Ladybug said as she and King Monkey ran to the elevator and stepped inside.

They got carried back up the the ground and stepped off the platform. Ladybug and King Monkey stepped outside, seeing several police cars drive away with their sirens on, and Officer Raincomprix talking to some other officers. Ladybug put her yoyo on her waist.

"Do you know how they escaped?" Ladybug asked.

"The witnesses say there was a dark figure dressed in blue and purple, and a little bird." Officer Raincomprix said,

"Dressed in blue and purple... that would be the other miraculous holder from earlier. The little bird would probably be a sentimonster." Ladybug thought out loud.

"If they escaped, wouldn't they want revenge or something?" King Monkey piped up.

"Maybe, and the easiest person to get revenge on is..." Ladybug paused as she realised what they may do next. "Officer Raincomprix, have you got this under control?"

"Hopefully. The cars are closing in on the area Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur were last seen."

"Okay. King Monkey and I are going to check on Chat Noir. Viperion and Ryuko are at the scene too, so should be able to help you."

"Oh, yes, Ryuko. She put the red box on the floor over there." Officer Raincomprix said, pointing at the Miracle Box.

Ladybug picked it up the Miracle Box and took her yoyo off her waist, and threw it. She flew after it and heard King Monkey follow her.

"What's the plan, Ladybug?" King Monkey asked as they ran on the rooftops.

"Plan? I- don't actually know... I just hope that Viperion and Ryuko are able to find Gabriel and Nathalie before they get away." Ladybug said.

They approached the building they had been on earlier and saw a small cluster of heroes gathered around someone lying down.

"Did I miss something?" Ladybug asked as she passed the Miracle Box to King Monkey. He looked at it, confused, then put in on the floor.

"Not really. He says his stomach hurts." Rena Rouge said, trying to get Chat Noir to lie on his back.

Pegasus pulled Chat Noir's right arm away from the stab wound, allowing Carapace to press the towel on it again. Pegasus gently felt around his broken arm, and wrapped a towel tightly around it. Chat Noir whined and tried to kick him away, but King Monkey restrained his legs. Carapace move the towel slightly within him, causing him to whimper.

"Deep breaths, Chat Noir, deep breaths." Ladybug said, crouching down beside his head.

Chat Noir shook his head. If he took deep breaths, his stomach would move, probably creating more pain, and he really doubted he could handle any more.

...

Nathalie gently placed her hands on Gabriel's fist.

"We don't need to do this to him. We can get the miraculouses back. We can still bring Emilie back. The first step, is to take your finger off this button." she said slowly, softly pulling his finger off the button.

"He deserves this." Gabriel said, keeping his finger firmly pressed on the button.

"Does he? Or are you just doing this because you regret what you did to him?" Nathalie asked.

"I- I don't regret it- I can't take it back.-" Gabriel stuttered slightly, looking at her.

She slid his finger off the button, and looked at him.

"If we keep going, it would all be worth it. But, if we give up, we would have pushed your son-"

"He's not my son." Gabriel said firmly and angrily.

"Uh, then we would have pushed _him_ through all that pain for nothing." Nathalie said, slowly taking the remote from his hand and putting it in her pocket.

"So- you- your saying we should keep going? We should keep hurting him?"

"No, no. I'm saying that we press forward with trying to get Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses. We can still bring her back, but only if we keep going. If we give up, all of this would have been for nothing."

Gabriel thought about what she was saying.

"But, we have nothin-"

"We have Lila Rossi's identity. And, we have this button, which we will use only if we need to." Nathalie said.

"Adrien. He- he's staying with her. If we get him to give us the Butterfly and Peacock miraculous, we will be able to move forward."

"Yes. But, how will we get him to do that? He is Chat Noir, remember."

Gabriel's eyes went to Nathalie's pocket, where the outline of the remote was visible. Nathalie sighed as she took it out of her pocket.

"We'll use it as little as possible. Just let him get better first." Nathalie said.

Gabriel's gaze hardened again, from a mixture of emotions he didn't know how to decipher. And, he didn't want to decipher them, because then he knew he would feel guilt.

He didn't want to feel guilt.

"He has one day."

...

Chat Noir tried to get his hands and legs free, but he couldn't. Why was it hurting so much more than before? Why wasn't it going numb, like last time? Why couldn't he just pass out already?

He lay his head limply on the roof, completely vulnerable to the pain in his stomach. He felt something press on his stomach and arm, and closed his eyes tightly, biting his lip to try and distract himself. He tasted blood a few moments later.

"No, kitten, don't do that." Ladybug said to him.

He felt her softly wipe the blood off his lip.

Oh, how he would have loved for that to happen any other day.

Chat Noir opened his eyes, and saw Ladybug grimacing as she looked at his stomach. She noticed him looking at her, and gave him an encouraging smile. He tried to return it, he really did, but he simply couldn't smile when he was hurting so much. Ladybug reached down and scratched his scalp.

Oh, how he would have loved for that to happen any other day.

"Don't worry, you're going to be fine." she said to him.

He nodded, and frowned as suddenly, most of the pain went away. He winced as someone prodded his broken arm, and sat up.

"I thought your stomach was hurting?" Rena Rouge said.

"It- it was. It just stopped hurting. Well, most of it anyway." Chat Noir said.

He lay down again as Carapace pressed harder on his stomach.

"Sorry, dude. Did your stomach go numb or something?"

"N-no. I can still feel it, and it still hurts, it just hurts way less than before." Chat Noir said.

King Monkey released Chat Noir's legs and stood up.

"Can we show you guys the selfies Ladybug took in the underground thing?" King Monkey asked.

"What? Oh, right. They weren't selfies, they were just pictures." Ladybug said.

She sat down next to Chat Noir and helped him sit up, allowing him to lean on her slightly. Carapace kept the towel pressed against his stomach. Ladybug opened her yoyo, while the other heroes looked at it, seeing her flick through photos she had taken recently.

"That was the swi-"

"It wasn't a swimming pool, King Monkey. I don't actually know what it wa-"

"So, it could have been a swimming pool." King Monkey said.

"Sure." Ladybug sighed. "Anyway, we found out why he might have tried to get our miraculouses."

"We did?" King Monkey asked.

"Yes. This, in the cylinder tube thing, is his wife Emilie Agreste. Maybe he was trying to wish her back... alive? I don't know for sure." Ladybug said, zooming in, letting the others see the photo.

"She looks like she is asleep." Rena Rouge stated. "Perhaps she is in a coma?"

"It's a possibility. Ladybug, King Monkey, did you see her breathing?" Pegasus asked.

"We didn't get close enough. I did see all these little white butterflies, though. I think he was growing them." Ladybug said.

"So, this new miraculous holder, she won't be able to create akumas, since she doesn't have the white butterflies?" Carapace asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. I don't know for sure." Ladybug said.

She turned around, hearing footsteps. She saw Viperion and Ryuko land on the roof, and walk up to them.

"We didn't find them, and there was no sign of them or the miraculous holder." Viperion said.

"The police car door had been crushed completely, and there were two pairs of broken handcuffs lying on the road. Fingerprint recognition proved that they were on Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur." Ryuko added.

"What are we looking at? Who's she?" Viperion asked, looking at Ladybug's yoyo.

"This is Gabriel Agreste's wife, Emilie Agreste. We think Gabriel wanted to wish her back." Rena Rouge said.

Ladybug flicked through the rest of the pictures, so everyone got an idea of what the room had looked like.

"Is that the place where, um, you know, Chat Noir was, uh, tort-" Viperion asked, not quite knowing how to say it without making Chat Noir upset.

Chat Noir wasn't really paying much attention though, but he looked down at the mention of what happened to him.

His mother.

His mother was lying there under the house for all that time.

His mother.

His mother may have been alive all that time.

His mother.

His father may have been trying to bring her back.

His father.

His father had tried to kill him.

His father.

His father had tortured him, helped by his assistant.

His assistant.

His assistant had tortured him.

Why did his life have to be messed up?

...

"Is that the place where, um, you know, Chat Noir was, uh, tort-" Viperion asked, not quite knowing how to say it without making Chat Noir upset.

Ladybug looked at Chat Noir, who had lowered his head and was now staring into space.

"No. Chat Noir was... held in a different place. He was first held in a room of the dome of the Agreste mansion, and then a studio." Ladybug said quietly.

The other heroes were silent, not quite knowing how to respond.

"I think you should all get back to your homes." Ladybug said, breaking the silence. She stood up and picked up the Miracle Box. "I know where you all live, so head home, and I'll collect the miraculouses individually. Make sure to keep a window open so I can get inside without being too loud."

Rena Rouge and Carapace nodded to her and took off towards Alya's house. Pegasus left the roof, then King Monkey, then Viperion and then Ryuko.

Ladybug and Chat Noir were left alone on the roof. Ladybug frowned as she looked at him, still staring into space. She crouched down and wiped away the tears he had silently been crying.

"I'll be back in just a few minutes." Ladybug told him as she called his baton with her yoyo.

The baton and yoyo were now linked. She gave him his baton back and placed it in his right hand.

"Just a few minutes, and I'll be here the whole time." Ladybug gestured to his baton.

He nodded, meeting her eyes.

"Thank you, Ladybug." Chat Noir reached forward and wrapped his arms around her.

"No problem, kitten. I'll be back as soon as I can." Ladybug hugged him harder before letting go.

She took his hand and used it to press the bloody towel to his stab wound.

"Keep it there, okay?"

Chat Noir nodded again, and smiled as best he could when she jumped off the roof with the Miracle Box.

When he was sure she was gone, he let his tears fall.


	17. Chapter 17

Chat Noir looked at his baton, hearing Ladybug jumping over the rooftops and collecting the miraculouses again. Well, all the miraculouses except his, her own, and the Butterfly and Peacock miraculouses.

A cold breeze blew past his skin. He shivered as he looked around, half expecting to see Hawkmoth or Mayura watching him from a distance.

They weren't there.

No one was.

He was alone.

Chat Noir looked at the baton in his hand.

"L-Ladybug?"

"Chat Noir, are you okay?" Ladybug asked him though his baton.

"Yes, I just- can I go home?"

"Oh, I, uh- are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

There was a few moments silence.

"Can you make it home by yourself?" Ladybug asked, worry evident in her voice.

Chat Noir bit his lip. He used his right arm to help himself stand up, and then tried walking.

"Yeah, I think so."

"If you really want to go home, I won't stop you. Just make sure you keep safe, okay?" Ladybug said.

"I will, thanks, Ladybug." Chat Noir said.

He angled his baton and extended it, holding on as tightly as he could. He breathed in sharply as his stomach pulsed, trying his best to ignore it. He landed on the roof of the bakery and slipped inside through the window he had left open earlier.

He landed silently on the floor, his right hand pressing the towel into the stab wound like Ladybug had told him too. He sat on the sofa and lay down.

"Plagg, Claws In."

Plagg landed on his stomach and looked worriedly at Adrien.

"You okay, kid?" Plagg asked.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Adrien said, closing his eyes.

"You don't need to pretend, I know about what happened with... Hawkmoth. I know how he's... your father. And how Nathalie's Mayura."

"They did if for my mother. I just- don't know how to feel." Adrien said.

"You don't need to know how to feel. You just need to make sure that you do feel something." Plagg said.

Adrien nodded, and opened his eyes, smiling at Plagg.

...

"You said you would give him a day!" Nathalie said.

"I can't wait that long." Gabriel said simply, picking up Nathalie's phone.

"He deserves a break from what we've done to him!"

"A break? I was doing this for him! It's his own fault!" Gabriel snapped.

"How is it his fault?"

Gabriel was silent. He turned her phone on and accessed Adrien's contact.

His son's contact.

No.

Adrien wasn't his son.

He accessed Adrien's contact, and started typing.

...

Ladybug ran along the rooftops, the Miracle Box now holding all the miraculouses, other than the Cat, Ladybug, Butterfly and Peacock miraculous. She headed home, knowing Chat Noir was home himself.

She landed on her balcony and detransformed.

Marinette slipped through the trapdoor and landed on her bed. She slid the Miracle Box beneath the bed, seeing Lila sleeping out of the corner of her eye.

"Marinette, I'm just going to- get a cookie!" Tikki said, smiling far too much.

"Uh, okay." Marinette said, seeing Tikki fly through the walls.

Tikki looked around the living room, seeing Plagg and Adrien talking to one another.

"Adrien! Are you okay?" Tikki flew down to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Adrien said, smiling tightly at her.

"No, you're not." Tikki said, before she was interrupted by Adrien's phone chiming.

Adrien picked it up, seeing that he had received a message from Nathalie. He was about to block her when his stomach started aching again. He curled up and accidentally dropped his phone.

"She says she can make it stop hurting if you do what she says." Plagg read the message aloud, while Tikki gave the phone to Adrien.

He typed a quick message that consisted of only two letters.

'No!'

Adrien whimpered quietly as the pain in his stomach increased slightly. His finger stretched and blocked the number. He gasped as his stomach started hurting even more, causing his eyes to dampen. He threw his phone to the other side of the room, as if it would somehow make his stomach stop hurting. The pain increased further and Adrien felt like he was going to faint.

"G-g-get it-" Adrien pointed to the phone and the kwamis picked it up and brought it to him.

He unblocked Nathalie, and felt the pain decrease slightly. He typed a message and pressed send.

'What do you want?'

Tikki and Plagg looked at the phone in horror as Nathalie started calling him. Seeing no other option, Adrien pressed 'answer'.

"Adrien." Gabriel's voice said through the phone.

"F-Fath-" Adrien whispered.

"I am not your father, you are not my son. But, you will do as I say." Gabriel said.

"N-no, you wi-" Adrien stopped speaking as the pain heightened in his stomach. He just about managed to squeak out a reply. "F-fine!"

"Good. I want you to go to Lila, and take something from her."

"W-w-what d-do you want?"

"I want the Peacock and Butterfly miraculous."

"She has them?"

"Yes. Now, get them."

"I c-can't-" Adrien whispered.

"Then you deserve this." Gabriel said.

Adrien bit his lip harder as his stomach hurt more. He rolled off the sofa and landed on his left arm, causing him to yelp.

"I-I will!"

"Good." Gabriel replied.

Adrien felt the pain decrease enough for him to stand. he stumbled over to the ladder that led into Marinette's room, and took a risk.

"I have them." Adrien lied.

He doubled over and fell onto the floor as the pain in his stomach doubled, and doubled, and doubled again.

"Do you really have them?" Gabriel said calmly.

"No."

"Exactly. Do not lie to me ever again. Get the miraculouses."

The pain decreased enough for Adrien to be able to stand. His legs wobbled, but he crawled up the ladder and opened the trapdoor. He crawled over to where Lila was sleeping and looked in her pocked, where he could see the faint outline of the miraculouses. He paused, unsure of how to proceed.

"Hurry up, child." Gabriel's voice burst through the phone.

Lila's eyes flickered open, and hardened as she saw Adrien about to reach into her pockets. She kicked him away, causing him to fall back and hit his back on the leg of Marinette's chaise. Lila stood up, and it suddenly clicked in her mind.

Gabriel and Nathalie had been talking about Gabriel's son earlier, and _Adrien was Gabriel's son_.

"You- you're Chat Noir! What were you doing?" Lila hissed, trying to keep her voice low.

"What's going on?" Marinette asked, waking up.

Lila snatched the phone away from Adrien before he could disconnect the line.

"Adrien, what are you doing?" Marinette said as she slid down the ladder.

"He had just fallen over, didn't you, Adrien?" Lila said smoothly, holding out her hand to Adrien.

Adien took it and allowed her to help him sit on the chaise.

"What is going on, child?" Gabriel's voice came through the phone.

"Adrien, you- you're with him?" Marinette asked, shocked.

"No, no, I'm not" Adrien said, trying his best to take the phone off Lila. But with the pain coming from his stomach, he couldn't reach very far. He heard Gabriel disconnect the line.

"Then what's going on here?" Marinette said, crossing her arms.

"She- Lila- Father- miraculous-" Adrien stuttered, panicking as tears began to form. He shakily pointed a finger to Lila's pocket, where the miraculouses were hidden.

Marinette followed his finger, but didn't see the miraculouses in her pocket.

"Adrien, tell the truth!" Lila said.

"I- I- he made me!" Adrien cried.

"Who?" Marinette asked.

"My Father-"

"Your father? He was on the phone, but you should have said no-" Marinette said.

"He was- m-making it hurt, though-"

"Making what hurt?" Marinette asked.

"M-my stomach." Adien whispered, sniffing.

"And how was he doing that?" Lila scoffed, even though she already knew. She was sure Adrien wouldn't reveal his identity to Marinette.

"I don't know..."

"He's lying." Lila said.

"He might not be." Marinette said. She glanced at Adrien's stomach. "Lie down. I'll call my parents. Do you want painkillers?"

"No, no, please, don't call them..." Adrien begged her.

"At least lie down, then." Marinette said.

Adrien lay down on the chaise, his hand wrapped around his stomach.

"So, what happened? You fell over, sure, but why were you in my room in the first place, and why were you talking to your father? He's Hawkmoth!" Marinette said.

"Because- I- because- wait, how did you know he was Hawkmoth?" Adrien asked, knowing Hawkmoth's identity had only been revealed a while ago.

Lila stood silently, putting the pieces together in her mind. Only the heroes had known about Hawkmoth's identity, so that meant Marinette had to be one of them. But, which one? Lila's eyes wandered to Marinette's ears, where black studs were placed.

Ladybug.

Marinette had to be Ladybug.

But, if Marinette was Ladybug, then Lila was stuck in a room with both Chat Noir and Ladybug, and she probably wouldn't be able to fight her way out. But, she couldn't just leave Adrien in pain like this. If she said there was a little ball inside him that was causing him the pain, they would become suspicous of her. But, if they saw the transformed version of her...

Lila slowly backed up towards the trapdoor on the floor.

"I knew he was Hawkmoth because... I, um, what told, by the police..." Marinette said, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse.

"The police told yo-" Adrien said, before suddenly gasping as his stomach started aching again.

"Adrien, are you okay?" Marinette asked, unsure of how to help him. She jumped as the trapdoor slammed shut behind her. She turned, and didn't see Lila anywhere.

"She- she had the miraculouses. The Butterfly and Peacock miraculouses." Adrien said, breathing heavily.

"What, how did she get them? Oh, no, no, no!" Marinette said.

"Wait, we need- we need to tell Ladybug- call- call Alya-" Adrien said, trying to stand up.

He fell over his own feet and collapsed into Marinette's arms.

"No, you just wait here. I'll call her." Marinette said as she picked up her phone and started texting Alya.

Adrien lay down again, his fingers digging at the stab wound without him knowing. He winced as he felt himself scratch off some of the scabbing that had formed. Marinette looked at him and gasped when she saw a small spot of blood appear on his top.

"Oh, Adrien, don't do that." Marinette said as she left her phone on the table and went over to him again. "I think you've scratched yourself. Do you mind if I take a look?"

"No, no, don't-" Adrien said desperately.

"It's bleeding more, let me at least clean it for you." Marinette said, getting a small hand towel.

Adrien looked up at the ceiling, and saw Plagg nodding to him. Adrien didn't seem to get the message, so Plagg flew down and whispered in his ear.

"Let her, kid, trust me. It'll be okay."

Adrien bit his lip, then nodded subtly to Plagg. Marinette came back, looking awkwardly at him.

"Uh, M-Marinette? C-can you just be g-gentle? It really hurts..." Adrien whispered to her.

Marinette looked at him softly and nodded. She slowly drew his shirt up, and gasped when she saw the partially healed messy stab wound in his stomach. Her mouth moved as she struggled to find her voice.

"A-Adrien... how- were you... stabbed?"

Adrien sunk down into the pillows, tears forming in his eyes. Marinette would probably send him to the hospital, his ring would get taken away and Ladybug would be angry with him and he would be all alone again.

"No, please don't cry. I'm sorry Adrien. Shall I call someone?" Marinette said, reaching for her phone.

"No, no! Please, don't!"

"Adrien! You've just been stabbed, you can't expect me to just- wait, you've just been stabbed... who stabbed you?"

"N-n-no-one-"

"Adrien, if you did this to yourse-"

"No, I didn't, it was just, it was just, uh- I fell over, and fell onto- something..." Adrien said.

"Let me at least call my paren-"

"No! They would probably make me go to the hospital, and I really don't want to go to the hospital."

Marinette frowned, remembering how Chat Noir had acted in a similar way. Then she remembered how Adrien had gone missing the same night Chat Noir was taken, and they had both reappeared at the same time. Marinette looked into Adrien's fearful green eyes, recognising them to be the eyes she had seen on Mister Bug.

"Adrien... are you Chat Noir?" she whispered.

"No, no! I'm not! I'm not! Really, I'm not!" Adrien said, his words quickly mashing together. He stood up, probably to leave the room, when he fell over again. Like last time, Marinette caught him.

"You are Chat Noir, aren't you?" Marinette whispered into his ear.

Adrien hesitated before he spoke.

"Please don't tell Ladybug! She's probably going to be really angry and might take away my miraculous, and-"

"Shh," Marinette said as she gently put a finger on his lips. "She already knows."

"What? How does she- wait, are you- are you Ladybug?"

"Yes, I am."

"And you were right in front of me this whole time? I- I'm so sorry! I never saw y-"

"Don't be sorry, I never would have guessed you were Chat Noir, and yet you were." Marinette paused. "And, I'm guessing you are really upset about Hawkmoth and Mayura's identities."

Adrien looked away and nodded, newly formed tears blurring his vision.

"I'm sorry, kitten. I should have seen how much this was affecting you sooner."

"They- they also know my identity..." Adrien whispered, his hand wrapped around his stomach.

Marinette breathed in sharply. She looked at Adrien's phone and picked it up, seeing that both Gabriel and Nathalie had blocked him.

"We'll find them, don't worry." Marinette said, helping Adrien sit on the chaise. "First things first, we need to deal with your stomach."

"It should be able to heal quickly when he's transformed." Plagg piped up, causing Marinette to jump.

"I don't think that's the problem, though. You said they were it hurt, right? How were they doing that?"

"I- I don't know. When I said I wouldn't do something, it started hurting more, and when I said I would, it stopped hurting as much." Adrien said.

"It's becau-"

"Ahh!" Marinette yelled, jumping again.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." the voice came from Marinette's bed, where a figure was crouched down below the open trapdoor.

Adrien and Marinette shared a glance, recognising the figure to be the one who had stolen the Butterfly and Peacock miraculouses. Marinette stepped in front of Adrien protectively, knowing he wouldn't be able to defend himself well.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Marinette asked.

"I just want to help. I know how you can make it stop hurting, Adrien. Don't you want it to stop?" Lila jumped onto the floor, landing quietly. "I can help."

"Why should we trust you? For all we know, you're going to kill him!" Marinette said.

"Why would I do that? Let me just tell you how to get rid of the ball, marble, thing, whatever it's called, and then I'll leave. In exchange for something."

"In exchange for what?"

"You two let me keep these two miraculouses."

"No. That's out of the discussion." Marinette said, stepping back closer to Adrien as Lila stepped closer.

"So, you want him to be in pain? You want the bead to be stuck inside him, causing him endless agony until he dies? He will die a lot quicker if you don't let me tell you what to do." Lila said.

Lila didn't really have a plan, but circling the chaise and scaring them seemed to be working. She stepped closer, and Adrien crawled back fearfully on the chaise, one of his arms still clutching his stomach.

They say a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and Lila had found it. She looked at Adrien, and spoke directly to him.

"Come on, I can make the pain stop. It's this little ball thing they put inside of you. It was on that dagger your father stabbed you with."

Well, that was a sentence Lila never imagined herself saying.

"I'll hurt you as little as possible, and I'll try to be as quick as possible, too. All I need to do is reach in a pull it out of you. I don't think that much flesh would have grown back." Lila continued.

Adrien looked at Marinette. He could feel himself being swayed to Lila's side. After all the pain he had felt recently, a break certainly seemed nice.

"Will you be able to make all of it stop hurting?" he asked.

"Just some of the pain in your stomach. And hopefully it'll only take a minute. I just nee-"

"Why do you need to, and not anyone else?" Marinette interrupted, not keen on Lila doing whatever she planned on doing.

"Because I know where it is."

"And, why can't you just tell me where it is, and let me get it out?" Marinette asked.

"That's fine." Lila said.

Marinette felt a wave of confusion wash over her, followed by confidence. She took a deep breath, and looked at Adrien.

"So, there is a... ball... inside of him, probably inside his stab wound, that is causing him this extra pain?" Marinette asked.

"Yes. All you need to do it pull it out, and hopefully he will be able to heal fully." Lila said. "Shall I-"

"No." Marinette snapped. She made Adrien lie down and pulled his shirt up so she could see the stab wound. "Are you _sure_ you don't want to go to the hospital? They could probably make it hurt way less and would probably make it heal faster, too."

Adrien's heavy breathing told her his answer. She sighed, and told Adrien to take a deep breath. He did so, and Marinette let her fingers plunge into the warm red mess.

...

"What is going on, child?" Gabriel asked impatiently, hearing a lot of background noise.

His eyes widened as he heard other voiced, and he immediately disconnected the line. He blocked Adrien on Nathalie's phone as well as on his phone, then threw the phones out onto the road. He slid off the roof in the opposite direction, grunting as his legs it the floor.

Nathalie looked to where he had thrown the phones. They hit a window, and the light flickered on, revealing Alya looking out of the window, incredibly confused. Alya and Nathalie met eyes for the briefest of moments.

Nathalie ran.

...

Marinette tried her best not to gag as she felt around, trying to feel something that felt similar to what Lila had described. She breathed in when she felt something slippery and round. She grasped her fingers around it, allowing her nails to help her hold it.

Adrien's pained whine reminded her that he could feel what she was doing.

"Sorry, kit- uh, Adrien. I'm going to take it out now. Grab a towel." Marinette said quickly, trying to be as gentle as possible as she pulled the little ball out of him.

Lila picked up the hand towel Marinette had been holding earlier and held it beside Adrien's stomach. Marinette brought her bloodied hand into the towel and dropped the ball into it too.

"I think I got it out, Adrien, don't worry." Marinette said, holding Adrien's hand with her clean one.

Marinette wiped most of the blood off her hand using the towel, and picked up the little ball, holding it up so Adrien could see it.

"That tiny little thing was what made me hurt so much?" Adrien said with disbelief.

"Apparently so. Tiny things can make a big difference." Marinette said, subtly pointing to her earrings.

Adrien gave her a pained smile, and pressed the towel to his stomach to keep pressure on it.

...

Alya and Nino yelped as they heard a sudden clutter on the balcony.

"Do you think it's Ladybug again?" Nino asked.

"It might be." Alya said, grinning, as she opened the window.

Nino walked up to beside her and tried to see, but it was too dark.

"Oh gosh, is that... Nathalie?" Alya said.

Nino followed her gaze, and saw a shadowy figure run away.

"We should call someone, right? Let me get my phone, I'll call Alya. She should be-" Nino started.

"She should be right here standing in front of you."

"Oh, right... shall I call the police?" Nino said awkwardly.

"Yeah. I'm going to update the Ladyblog."

...

Tikki pulled Plagg beneath the chaise. He yelped, and Tikki pressed her paw against him mouth, muffling the sound.

"What was that for?"

"You were being to loud! Look. We can probably grab the Butterfly and Peacock miraculouses without being seen." Tikki said, gesturing to Lila's feet.

"Oh, you're right! Come on!" Plagg exclaimed, flying towards the feet.

"Wait! You can't just rush into everything!"

"But this will be easy!"

Tikki sighed. She flew behind Lila and hovered behind her head, waiting for Plagg to do the same. Plagg flew up, looking worriedly at Adrien, who was still pressing to towel into himself.

"He'll be fine, I'm sure!" Tikki said, optimism shining through her words.

"Yeah..." Plagg said, flying to Lila's chest and pulling at the brooch.

Tikki flew to Marinette's table and dropped a pencil, creating a distraction. The distraction wasn't strong enough, as a few moments later, Lila looked to see Plagg almost unhook the Peacock miraculous.

"No! Get off!" Lila yelled, flapping her fan at Plagg.

"Yeah, that fan is gonna do so much damage against me. You really need to learn more about kwamis." Plagg said calmly, crossing his arms.

"You- you're a kwami? And you look like a cat, so you would be the kwami of the Cat miraculous, right?" Lila said slowly. "And I'm guessing you care very much for your precious little Chat Noir?"

Adrien's eyes widened as Lila pushed Marinette out of the way, then brought Adrien flush against her body, her hand pressing on his stomach.

"I think I was wrong to judge your father for doing this, Adrien. There's certainly a thrill I can get out of having so much power over you!" Lila said, sharply twisting to towel.

Adrien whimpered and panicked. "P-Plagg, C-C-Claws Out!"

"Tikki, Spots On!"

Ladybug lunged at Lila, knocking her to the ground. Chat Noir wriggled out of her grasp and fled to the corner of the room, fiddling with his baton.

Ladybug and Lila rolled over each over, both trying to swipe the miraculouses off the other. Chat Noir took a small tracker out of his baton and held in in his hand. He jumped at Lila and pressed the tracker into her back, making it stick to her suit. He pulled Ladybug back and whispered into her ear.

"Let her go."

Ladybug looked at him, confused, but seemed to realise that he had a plan. She jumped at Lila again, and tackled her to the ground. Lila looked up, and saw the open trapdoor she had come in through. If she just managed to get through it, she would be able to escape.

Lila shoved Ladybug off of her, and jumped up, climbing out onto the balcony. She leapt away, hoping that the darkness was enough of a mask for her to hide behind.

...

"Sir, we need to get away from here. Alya Césaire saw us, and she might alert people." Nathalie said, walking up to Gabriel.

Gabriel looked at her. "What should we do, then?"

"We should, uh-"

"Exactly. We have no idea what to do. No idea where we can go. No idea who we can trust."

"You can trust me." Nathalie said, placing one of her hands above Gabriel's.

"Then I trust you to make a decision that will benefit us." Gabriel snapped, turning around and walking to the other side of the alley.

Nathalie slid down the wall, thinking of what they could do next. They could maybe sneak into Marinette Dupain-Cheng's house... no, Adrien would probably just yell for help. Maybe if they... no, that wouldn't work either.

Nathalie sighed and rested her head on the wall, glancing over at Gabriel.

"Do you hear that?" Gabriel asked quietly.

"Hear what?"

Gabriel stood up, closing his eyes as the faint sound of sirens grew louder.

"Get up. We've got to go-" Gabriel started.

"No! Let's just, uh, make our way onto the rooftops."

"How would we do that, and how would that even help us?"

"They would be looking for us on the ground, not on the rooftops. We can climb up using this pipe." Nathalie explained, climbing steadily up a pipe.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow and followed her up. They looked around once on the roof, and saw someone running along the rooftops in their direction. Nathalie squinted and relaxed as she recognised the person.

"I thought our ideas were to extreme for you, Rossi." Gabriel said, fiddling with his cuffs.

"I may have recently been enlightened on how... empowering it feels... to have control over someone like that." Lila replied. She hadn't meant to bump into them, but she was partially glad she had.

"What do we need to give you, in return for you to return the miraculouses to us?" Nathalie asked, her hands reaching through her pockets, hoping to find something valuable that would appeal to Lila.

...

Ladybug looked up at the trapdoor Lila had just jumped out of.

"I am assuming you have a plan." she said as she sat him on the chaise for what felt like the millionth time.

"Yeah, for once I have a plan instead of you!" Chat Noir said, laughing slightly before he flinched. "I put a tracker on her."

He opened his baton and brought up the map, which showed a small red dot moving quickly.

"Now, we can track her and where she goes!"

Chat Noir beamed, quite proud of himself.

"Until you detransform, because then the tracker would disappear."

"Oh, right." Chat Noir muttered, his face falling.

"Hey, it was a genius idea, kitten!" Ladybug exclaimed, giving him a cuddle. "She might go to Gabriel and Nathalie, and then we'll be able to find them, too."

Chat Noir melted into the cuddle and closed his eyes, so he didn't see the red dot stop near Alya's house. Ladybug did, however. She realised that Lila probably had met up with Gabriel and Nathalie, and this would probably be their chance to get them.

Ladybug thought about the cat in her arms, who was probably still struggling with his emotions. She couldn't force him to fight those people, especially when he was in such a weak state. But, she couldn't just let an opportunity like this pass. And he would never let her go by herself.

"How about you go to sleep, kitten?" Ladybug said, gently lying him down on the chaise.

"Aren't you going to go to sleep?" Chat Noir asked as he looked up at her.

"I was actually going to- no, wait. Yes, I'm going to sleep too." Ladybug said.

She shuffled so that his head lay on her stomach.

"You know, you need to close your eyes to go to sleep."

"How can I close my eyes, when I have someone so purr-fect to look at?"

"You'll see me in your dreams, won't you?"

"I always do, M'lady."

"Exactly." Ladybug said triumphantly.

Chat Noir closed his eyes, getting the feeling that Ladybug was trying to get him to sleep as soon as possible. It was probably just bacause she wanted him to heal painlessly, right? Or, maybe it was because she didn't actually like him, and she was just planning on leaving him as soon as he fell unconscious.

No, she wouldn't do that. Chat Noir tried to think about how she really felt about him.

"I love you, M'lady." Chat Noir said, opening his eyes to see her looking at him.

"I thought you were going to sleep!" Ladybug said a little too abruptly.

Chat Noir crumbled visibly, and tried to say something.

"S-s-sorry, I j-just wanted to- to know how you felt about me..."

Ladybug's surprised gaze softened into a warm smile. She leaned forward, and pressed her lips gently to his for the briefest moment.

"I love you." Ladybug whispered.

She leaned back, and saw that Chat Noir's face now had a deep red blush. Ladybug grinned down at him.

"Now, kitten, go to sleep."

Chat Noir nodded after a few moments, and closed his eyes, subconsciously snuggling closer to her.

Ladybug ran her hands through his hair, smiling at the soft purring that started a few minutes later. She thought about what she had said to him.

_"I love you"_

Those three words were something she had imaged herself saying to Adrien for years, but she had never had the courage to do so. And yet, she was able to say it on a moment's notice to Chat Noir, and he was the same person! Ladybug couldn't help but admit that when she was with Chat Noir, she felt stronger and a lot more confident.

Was that love, or was it just the deep trust she shared with him as Chat Noir?

Ladybug didn't know, and she soon felt bad for telling him she loved him when she hadn't even thought about it. A part of her was telling her that she had just said she loved him because he was Adrien, while another part of her was telling her she loved both sides of him.

She sat with him sleeping on top of him for a while longer, before she got snapped back into reality by a small clutter. She looked over the side of the chaise and saw Chat Noir's baton rolling on the floor. Ladybug glanced at Chat Noir's right hand, which was dangling limply over the side of the chaise.

Ladybug slid herself out from beneath him and pushed a pillow beneath his head. She picked up his baton and put his hand on the chaise.

"Chat Noir, are you awake?"

He didn't respond, so Ladybug assumed he was asleep. She climbed out onto the balcony with both her yoyo and Chat Noir's baton in hand. She opened his baton and followed the red dot.

Ladybug zipped through the streets on her yoyo, as the sudden realisation struck her that she was alone. She didn't have her partner beside her. But, Lila couldn't be that hard to defeat - she had only had the miraculouses for a few hours, and even if Gabriel and Nathalie taught her things, Ladybug would easily be able to defeat her.

Ladybug approached the red dot and landed behind a chimney. She peered around the chimney and spotted Lila talking to Gabriel and Nathalie, just as she had predicted. Ladybug took her yoyo in her hand and carefully aimed.

She threw it just as Lila was about to take a step back, so Lila got pinned to the chimney. Ladybug took her chance and spun around the chimney. She grabbed the Butterfly miraculous and managed the pull it off. Lila's blue and purple suit flashed into one that was pure purple, illuminating the roof. Her foot swung Beneath Ladybug, and she got knocked onto her back.

Gabriel and Nathalie looked around worriedly as Ladybug picked herself. Nathalie lunged forward and flicked the Peacock miraculous off Lila, and stepped back so the Gabriel could catch it. He did so and the two ran off, leaving Ladybug to deal with Lila, who's miraculous suit had completely disappeared.

"What did you say to them?" Ladybug said, putting the Butterfly miraculous in her yoyo.

"I didn't say anything." Lila replied, crossing her arms.

"Really?" Ladybug asked. "In that case, I think I'll just hand you over to the police. You'll have many crimes on your record. Theft-"

"Fine. We were planning on making a deal."

"A deal? Does it have to do with the miraculouses?"

"Yes, but you have to believe me. They forced me to-"

"Lila, just don't. You lie at every turn. This whole problem is your fault! If you had just let me have the Peacock and Butterfly miraculouses, I wouldn't have to fight them again!" Ladybug gestured to the people who had just run off.

"Then go and catch them! I'm not stopping you!"

"Oh, no. You're not going to get another chance to escape. Come on." Ladybug said as she picked up Lila and brought her to the ground, where police officers were looking for Gabriel and Nathalie.

One of the police officers came over.

"This is Lila Rossi. She had stolen two miraculouses and had refused to hand them over. That's theft. I'll let you deal with her." Ladybug said, nodding to him.

"Thank you, Ladybug. I'll take it from here." the police officer replied.

Ladybug thanked him and jumped onto the roof.

"Ladybug!" someone called.

Ladybug looked around, trying to locate the voice, then noticed Alya's head sticking out of a window.

"Alya! Do you need something?"

"No, I just saw Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur on that roof over there." Alya pointed to the roof Ladybug had been on a few minutes ago.

"Yes, I saw them too. I brought Lila down to the ground an-"

"Wait, Lila was on the roof? Why? Was she taken hostage or something?"

"No. She was the one who had stolen the miraculouses." Ladybug explained.

"No! Lila would never do that!" Alya ran back into her room and said something else that sounded like 'come on beano'.

Ladybug frowned. Alya was probably going to defend Lila, who would probably lie to get herself free. If Ladybug went after Gabriel and Nathalie, Lila might manage to escape, but if Ladybug stayed to make sure justive prevailed, Gabriel and Nathalie would probably get away.

Ladybug quickly decided to stay. People would easily be able to spot Gabriel and Nathalie, and Lila was to dangerous to be allowed to escape. She jumped onto the ground again, and watched as Alya ran out of her house, phone in hand, and Nino close behind.

"No, wait! There's no way Lila would do something like that! She's innocent!" Alya cried, the light from her phone flashing about as she ran to the officer holding Lila.

"Sorry, miss. Ladybug sai-"

"She was mistaken, she has to be!" Alya met Ladybug's gaze and turned away. "Lila's one of my best friends. In fact, she was even staying with one of my other friends. She can prove it."

The officer raised an eyebrow.

"Who can prove it?"

"Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Adrien can help defend Lila, too!" Alya said. "Let me call her."

Ladybug's eyes widened as she quickly ran and hid. She answered the call on her bug phone.

"Hey, Alya, why are you calling me so late?" Ladybug faked a loud yawn and disconnected the camera, so Alya wouldn't be able to see her face.

"Lila's staying with you, right?"

"She was. I don't know where she is now. It looks like she just disappeared. Wait, the window's open. Maybe she jumped out or something." Ladybug put on a fake tired voice.

"She jumped out? But your bedroom it like three storeys high!"

"I dunno. Maybe she has superpowers or something."

"Miss, I'm sorry, but so far everything points to this girl. She even looks like the miraculous holder," the officer interrupted.

"Sorry, for calling Marinette. I'll see you at school." Alya hung up and looked back to the officer. "Wait, how do you know what she looked like?"

"We have photos sent to us by the public. We only have a few, but we managed to get a fairly good idea of what she looked like."

Nino looked up the recent miraculous holder on his phone and brought up a picture for he and Alya to see.

"You two really look similar, Lila..." Alya muttered. "Please say that's not you."

"It's not me. I'm innocent!" Lila burst.

"No, you're not." Ladybug said. "You ha-"

"I also know some things, don't I, Ladybug?" Lila said quietly, so that only she and Ladybug could hear.

"Do you mind if I speak to her in private?" Ladybug asked.

The officer narrowed his eyes, but nodded. Ladybug pulled Lila away from the others.

"Look, Ladybug. I know you're Marinette, and that Chat Noir is Adrien. Unless you want me to reveal your identities, you're going to let me go free." Lila said.

Ladybug looked at her. Gabriel and Nathalie probably already knew their identites, but having the public know was a completely different concept. People would probably target her, or the people around her, in order to get their hands on miraculouses. Plus, Ladybug was the Guardian, and it was her responsibly to protect her and the other miraculous holder's identities.

"I'll let you go, in exchange for you keeping quiet about our identities."

Lila smiled. "I'm afraid that's not enough."

Ladybug gritted her teeth, wishing there was a way she could go back in time and stop Lila from ever figuring out their identities. Maybe, with the help of Bunnyx...

"I'll get you the Miracle Box." Ladybug lied, jumping on top of the roof. "Bunnyx! Bunnyx, I need you!"

Ladybug looked around, desprerately hoping to see Bunnyx pop her head out of a burrow.

"Minibug? What's the problem?"

Ladybug turned around, the fear in her heart being replaced by confidence.

"Bunnyx, I need you to take me about 20 minutes into the past. I sort of have a plan."

"Identity problem?"

Ladybug nodded, closing her eyes as she stepped into Bunnyx's burrow. She let Bunnyx lead her to another burrow.

"Good luck, Minibug. Do you need Chat Noir's help?"

"No... I don't want him to get hurt.

Bunnyx sighed. "What's the plan?"

"I was just hoping my Lucky Charm would tell me what to do..."

"Well... it's never failed before. Here's the burrow. Call me again when you need to go back to your present."

Ladybug nodded and stepped through the portal. She landed on the roof of the bakery, and saw Lila get inside through the open trapdoor. Ladybug followed her, careful not to make a sound. She slid under the bed, and peeked out, seeing Lila approach them.

Ladybug waited until Marinette had taken the little ball out of Adrien's stomach, then got ready to call on her Lucky Charm.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug whispered.

A large potato sack appeared in her hands, and Ladybug looked at Lila, who was now holding Adrien flush against her body, talking about the sick thrill she got from the power. Ladybug pounced, smirking at the confusion that appeared on Lila's face.

Lila quickly looked to Marinette, murmuring something along the lines of 'so you're not her'.

Ladybug wrapped the sack around Lila's eyes, so she didn't see Adrien transform. Ladybug tied the sack tightly around Lila's eyes, and then winked at Chat Noir and Marinette.

"Marinette, Adrien, run downstairs. Chat Noir and I have got this." Ladybug said loudly so Lila could hear through her struggling.

Ladybug then ran downstairs, loudly slamming the trapdoor on the floor. She went outside and looked through the circular window in her bedroom, seeing pretty much the exact same fight happen. She spotted Chat Noir press the tracker into Lila's back, and Lila escape.

The Ladybug from the future shifted her position, so she could see the other Ladybug and Chat Noir lie down on the chaise. Both Ladybug's felt a strong wave of guilt wash over them as the words 'I love you' were spoken, and as the Ladybug from that time pressed a small kiss to Chat Noir's lips.

Ladybug shouldn't have said that. Ladybug shouldn't have done that. She should have just said she needed time to figure out her emotions rather than leading him on like that. She should have-

"Minibug."

"Ahh!" Ladybug yelped.

"Sorry. Have you done what you needed to do?" Bunnyx asked through a burrow.

"Yeah. I was just checking that everything from this point onwards was- is- I don't know... I just wanted to make sure the same stuff happens. You know, to make sure nothing else happens."

"I'm sure it won't. And, even if it does, I'll call you back, or fix it myself. No need to worry, Minibug."

Ladybug nodded to her, and glanced back at the blushing kitten in the other Ladybug's arms. Ladybug swallowed her guilt and stepped through the burrow, heading back into her present.

...

"S-s-sorry, I j-just wanted to- to know how you felt about me..." Chat Noir whispered.

He looked up and met her eyes. He felt his own eyes start to water when she kept silent for a few moments. She didn't love him.

Chat Noir was about to fully break down when Ladybug leaned forward over him and softly pressed her lips to his

"I love you." Ladybug whispered to him.

Chat Noir felt his face heat up quickly as his heart fluttered in his chest. Marinette just kissed him. Ladybug just kissed him. She loved him!

"Now, kitten, go to sleep."

Chat Noir processed the words slowly in his love struck mind. He nodded slowly and closed his eyes, snuggling closer to Ladybug, hearing her heartbeat in his ear. He felt her run her fingers through her hair, soothing him.

...

"We have the Peacock miraculous back, so we should-"

"Let me transform!" Gabriel said, snatching the miraculous.

"Wait! We saw Ladybug there, but we didn't see Chat Noir." Nathalie said.

"So, you're saying we should attack hi-"

"No. I'm saying I should sneak into the Dupain-Cheng bakery and take his miraculous."

"Why you, and not me?" Gabriel asked.

"You might get a bit... distracted... by your son-"

"He's not my son." Gabriel said calmly, as if it were obvious.

"Right, yes, of course. You go to-"

"I'm coming with you, even if it means you have to carry me." Gabriel said firmly.

Nathalie sighed. "Duusu, Spread My Feathers!"

Mayura picked Gabriel up and landed on the Dupain-Cheng bakery roof.

"Stay here. I've got this." Mayura said.

...

"I should have killed you when I had the chance." Gabriel said.

"You- you what?" Chat Noir asked, hoping his ears where deceiving him.

"You heard me right." Gabriel replied, as if he could read Chat Noir's mind. "I should have killed you when I had the chance. Luckily, my chance is now."

Gabriel tranformed into Hawkmoth, and looked at Chat Noir with a glimmer of madness in his eyes. He reached forward and clasped Chat Noir's neck tightly.

"Let's make this hurt, shall we?"

"N-n-no, please d-don't-"

Hawkmoth laughed and squeezed harder as Chat Noir gasped, before dropping him onto the floor. Hawkmoth took a long knife in his hand and walked towards the cat, who was scrambling to get away. Hawkmoth chuckled.

"You still think you can get away! Not very bright, are you?" Hawkmoth placed his foot on Chat Noir's back and scratched sharp red lines along Chat Noir's back. "Do you like your new stripes, kitten?"

Hawkmoth drew the blade over Chat Noir's back over and over, pressing his foot down harder when Chat Noir struggled.

"If you keep doing that, it'll hurt more. You're doing this to yourself. This is your fault. Everything is your fault."

Chat Noir stopped struggling and just lay there, his face pressed into the ground. Ground that soon became wet with silent tears.

"Aww, are you crying? Good. Keep crying. You're a failure. A mistake. And you'll die. Here. All alone." Hawkmoth laughed as he shook the knife and splattered some of the blood on Chat Noir's face.

Hawkmoth slashed at his back so much that almost all the skin was ripped or bleeding. Hawkmoth continued to slash all over Chat Noir's body until he was nothing more than a shaking, bloody mess.

Hawkmoth detransformed and crouched down. Gabriel grabbed Chat Noir's chin and forced them to meet eyes.

"I have done the universe a favour by killing you." Gabriel pulled the ring off of Chat Noir's finger, looking disgustedly at the dying body in front of him.

Gabriel walked away, the Cat miraculous in hand.

"No, Father, please!"

"I am not your father!" Gabriel yelled, kicking Adrien in the face.

Adrien gasped and tried crawling away again. Gabriel sighed.

"You don't get it, do you? Maybe Marinette should come an-"

"No! What have you done to her? Where is she?" Adrien forced himself up, gasping at the pain from the slits on his skin. "Marinette? Marinette?"

"I'm over here." Marinette said, standing beside Gabriel.

"Marinette! Are you- are you hurt?"

"Yes, I am."

"No! What did he do to you?" Adrien yelled he threw a punch at Gabriel, who managed to dodge and throw Adrien back onto the ground.

"Adrien! How could you do that to your own father?" Marinette asked, shocked.

"He hurt you!"

"No, he didn't. You did."

"How- how did I hurt you?" Adrien asked, looking up at her.

"When you revealed yourself. I loved Adrien, but hated Chat Noir. When I realised you were Adrien, I quickly lied to you and said that I loved you, so that I could sneak away. You hurt me by being yourself, Adrien." Marinette said.

"No, no, please say it's not true!"

"So you think I'm lying? How dare you, Adrien Agreste! I thought you loved me!"

"I do, bu-"

"Save it. I was wrong to let you live. I should put you down, I should kill you." Marinette said.

She kicked Adrien in his lower stomach, making him whimper quietly.

"Oh, did that hurt? Let me do it again..." Marinette kicked him again and again, causing more and more tears to flow.

Adrien gagged as his tears dripped into his mouth and nose. He gasped, trying to breath, but the tears clogged his airway and choked him.

"Finally, he's dying! I was wondering how long it would take." Marinette said.

Adrien coughed up his tears, but it didn't help. He suffocated and pawed at his face, desperately trying to breath.

Marinette crouched down and looked into his eyes.

"Too bad you're not perfect, kitten."

Marinette stood back up, aimed, and kicked him right in his chest.

She destroyed his heart.

Adrien looked up at her one final time, before death closed in.

...

"Marinette!"


	18. Chapter 18

Bunnyx led Ladybug to a burrow and gestured a burrow. Ladybug was about to step through, when she paused.

"Is everything going to work out? You know, with getting the Peacock miraculous?"

"I can't say, Minibug, you know that."

Ladybug glanced at Bunnyx's face, looking for any cracks in the armour, but Bunnyx had a good poker face.

"But, we could maybe stop something bad from happening, like when you took me to the future to Chat Blanc." Ladybug said.

"Time is fragile, we can't risk it. And about Chat Blanc... he was akumatised due to... circumstances sort of similar-ish to the circumstances he is facing now. I suggest you tell him about Chat Blanc, but... look after him."

"Of course, Bunnyx. I will."

Ladybug stepped through the burrow, shivering as the cold air touched her exposed skin. She looked over the edge of the roof she was standing on, and saw the officer pointing to the car, gesturing for Lila to get in. Lila looked up and met Ladybug's eyes.

Ladybug snickered slightly, waving sweetly at Lila. She was finally getting what she deserved. Ladybug nodded to the officer and swung away on her yoyo. She landed on the roof of the balcony, and looked down, to see Adrien looking up at her, the pain clear on his face.

...

"Marinette!"

Chat Noir sat up on the chaise, wiping the tears out of his eyes so he could see clearly. He looked beside him, desperately hoping to see her beside him, but the spot was empty.

She wouldn't have left him, would she have?

_When I realised you were Adrien, I quickly lied to you and said that I loved you, so that I could sneak away._

No, that couldn't be true, that was just a nightmare. She wouldn't have left him, she loved him!

Chat Noir stood up and climbed the ladder, hoping to see her sleeping in her bed, but it was empty.

"Marinette?"

He called again, jumping when he heard the trapdoor above him creaking. Once again, he hoped to see her, but only Mayura looked back at him.

"Hello, kitten!" Mayura said pleasantly.

She lunged at him and tackled him to the ground, pressing her knee into his stab wound. He writhed, attempting to escape. Mayura grabbed is right arm and began pulling the ring off his finger. Chat Noir balled his fist, and whimpered as she pressed harder on his stomach.

"Come on, kitten. I don't want to do this. Don't you want to pain to stop? We can make it stop, you know. Just give us the ring, and your life with be perfect again. Isn't that what you want?"

Chat Noir shook his head, pulling his arm out of her grip.

"If that's how you want to play it fine. I gave you the easy option, now your going to have to deal with the hard option." Mayura sighed.

Mayura pressed harder on his stomach, slapping a hand over his mouth to muffle his cries of anguish. He wouldn't be able to get out of this without Ladybug, and she wasn't with him.

Chat Noir looked at his ring through new tears that were forming. He slipping off his finger, seeing his suit disappear.

"Plagg, take it and go!"

Adrien threw the ring to the other side of the room, seeing Plagg catch it. Mayura jumped off him and tried to grab Plagg, but the kwami was too quick.

"Adrien?"

He looked back up to the trapdoor, and saw Ladybug. He pointed to Mayura and Ladybug nodded, jumping into action. She and Mayura rolled over each other, before Mayura grabbed the ring from Plagg before he could fly away.

She slipped the ring on her finger, only to have Ladybug swat it off. Ladybug caught it and grinned at Mayura.

Mayura clenched her jaw and ran up the ladder and pulled Adrien against her body. She pressed her nails to his throat, letting a tiny drop of blood show so Ladybug knew she was serious.

"Give me the ring."

Ladybug looked at the ring in her hand.

"Let me talk to my kwami-"

"I'm not stupid, Ladybug. Unless you give me the ring, he falls off the roof in ten seconds."

Mayura jumped out of the trapdoor and started counting down.

"Ten!"

Ladybug checked Mayura couldn't see inside the room.

"Nine!"

Ladybug ran to her desk, looking around. She didn't find what she was looking for.

"Eight!"

Ladybug ran to the vanity dresser.

"Seven!"

She opened the top draw and looked in it.

"Six!"

She opened the next drawer, glancing at the contents briefly.

"Five!"

Ladybug yanked on the final drawer handle sharply, causing it the contents to come spilling out.

"Four!"

Ladybug looked through them, but didn't see what she was looking for.

"Three!"

Ladybug looked around the room, tears pricking at her eyes.

"Two!"

Ladybug spotted the little box beside her sewing machine. She grabbed it and opened it, pulling out the fake ring.

"One!"

"Fine!"

"No, Ladybu-" Adrien's broken voice called to her.

Ladybug climbed onto the roof, seeing Mayura dangling Adrien off the roof, pressing her nails into his neck.

"Here, take it." Ladybug held the fake ring out to Mayura.

Mayura was about to take it when she hesitated.

"Hold on, that's too easy. What is the kwami's name, Adrien?"

"P-Plagg-"

"Plagg. Get Plagg to give it to me." Mayura said.

Ladybug frowned. Plagg didn't have anything to do with it, but Ladybug wasn't going to argue. She was, however, going to put on a show.

She sniffed, holding the fake ring in the palm of her hand.

"Plagg, give it to her."

Plagg appeared from behind her, and picked up the fake ring, and passed it to Mayura.

"Good. Go now, and take the boy."

Mayura dropped Adrien, and Ladybug quickly swooped down and caught him. She squeezed his hand, her heart breaking when she saw his tear stained face.

"Leave, Mayura you have what you came for." Ladybug said, dramatically wiping a few tears away.

She saw Mayura look uneasily at the chimney before running away. When Ladybug was sure Mayura was gone, she turned to Adrien.

"I'm sorry, I'm really, really, rea-"

"Shh, Adrien, everything's fine. I have the ring, I gave her a fake one. Don't worry. Look, here's your ring." Ladybug slipped his ring onto his finger. "Look, Plagg's here too. None of this is your fault."

Ladybug whispered encouraging words to him while hugging his tightly, allowing him to bury his face in her shoulder. Plagg hugged him, too, hating seeing Adrien so broken.

...

Gabriel hid behind the chimney as he heard Mayura jump away. She was probably circling around to get him, so all he had to do was wait.

Wait.

That would be easy.

He had waited years to bring back his wife.

He could wait a few minutes easily.

But, waiting a few minutes with _them_ on the other side was a completely different story.

Gabriel glanced around the chimney, seeing Ladybug's back turned his way.

Her earrings drew him closer.

He took a silent step.

The earrings were just an arm's length away, now.

He stepped forward, and saw a green eye flicker open.

"N-no! Go away!" Adrien cried, pushing Gabriel backwards.

Gabriel stumbled, and a roof was not a good place to stumble.

He fell off the roof.

"No!" Ladybug cried.

She threw her yoyo over the edge, and watched as everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Her yoyo was about to wrap around Gabriel's foot, when he suddenly got scooped up by Mayura. The yoyo still came down, but smashed into her face. Mayura dropped Gabriel, and since they had been in mid air, he flew forward and landed in the middle of the road with several pained grunts.

"Father!"

"He is not your father!" Mayura screamed at Adrien.

He fell onto his knees, the weight of what he had just done too much for him to handle. Ladybug thought fast.

"Plagg, take Adrien inside. I'll deal with this."

Plagg nodded and led Adrien into Marinette's bedroom. Adrien's eyes were pouring of tears he didn't seem to register.

Ladybug jumped onto the road and pulled Gabriel off the road. Mayura landed beside her, and there was a silent agreement between them not to do anything they'll regret. Ladybug pulled out her bug phone and stepped back, allowing Mayura to check on Gabriel.

"I, uh, yes, hi. I need the ambulance. Urgently."

...

"This is all my fault."

"No, it's not. You simply acted on instinct, and he got injured."

"He might die, because of me."

"He's not going to die. I promise you. I saw his fall. Maybe a sprained ankle and a few broken ribs, but he'll survive. Just like how you survived."

Adrien looked up.

"But I had a miraculous. Maybe if I give him one, just for a day, he'll get better?"

Adrien climbed up the ladder and slid beneath Marinette's bed, sliding the Miracle Box towards him.

"No! Adrien, don't do this!"

"I have to, Plagg! He needs to get better. It's not fair that I got to heal quickly while he's going to be stuck in the hospital for heck-knows-how-long."

"It's you accidentally push him, and you feel all this guilt, when he tortured you and feels probably no guilt at all!"

Adrien winced, both as Plagg's words and tone.

"Sorry, kid. There's got to be anoth-"

"There isn't. Plagg-"

"Don't you say it-"

"Claws Out!"

Chat Noir pressed each of the little spots until he spotted the Butterfly miraculous. Why the Butterfly miraculous? He didn't know. Maybe Nooroo could keep Gabriel company or something.

He jumped out onto the balcony, leaving the Miracle Box on the bed. He leapt onto the road, guilty tears forming. He forced himself to walk forward. Gabriel looked up at him.

"No! Go away, you sick monster! Take him away, Mayura! Kill him for what he's done to me!" Gabriel screamed, causing people to look out of their windows to find the source of the shrieking.

Chat Noir took a step back, and Mayura spotted the Butterfly miraculous in his hand.

"Chat Noir, did you take that from the Miracle Box?" Ladybug asked, not even trying to conceal the anger in her voice.

Mayura tried to grab the Butterfly miraculous, but it fell into the road. Both Ladybug and Mayura jumped at it, and started to roll over each other, so they didn't see the car driving up the road.

They did hear it, though. Both Ladybug and Marura rolled out of it's way, and the car drove forward, the driver oblivious to what was happening.

They had almost gotten run over, and it was all Chat Noir's fault. Because he couldn't handle the fact that he was the cause of all his father's injuries. His father didn't even want to be related to him, because of all the things he had done.

Chat Noir fell to his knees and looked at himself. He was ashamed to be himself. He really was. Ladybug was probably ashamed of him, too.

Apologising wouldn't get him out of the mess he had created. He should just leave.

Chat Noir took his baton off his back and extended it, pushing him through the air.

...

Ladybug rolled out of the way of the car, seeing Mayura do the same. When the car had passed, Ladybug reached forward and grabbed the Butterfly miraculous from the road.

Mayura looked at her, defeat written all across her face. Ladybug looked at Chat Noir, who had stood up, and was vaulting away on his baton.

"Have you got this, Mayura?" Ladybug asked, gesturing to Gabriel.

Mayura nodded, crouching down beside Gabriel.

"The ambulance should be here in a few minutes. He needs the medical attention. Don't take him, let him get help."

"Get help. You make it sound like he's gone mad." Mayura said.

"He may ha-"

"Give me one reason that shows he may have gone mad." Mayura said, crossing her arms.

"He tortured his own son."

"We didn't know he was his son at the time."

"Well, you still tortured him."

"Yes, I did, and I'm still perfectly sane!"

"Are you?" Ladybug asked.

Mayura clenched her jaw.

"What do you want? Are you just going to try and grab the Peacock miraculous from when I'm not looking?" Mayura said sarcastically.

Ladybug sighed, freeing one of her hands.

"Yes."

She grabbed it an plucked it off Mayura's chest. Blue light flashed, and Nathalie stood in Mayura's place.

"That's low, Ladybug."

"Says you."

Nathalie looked around her, her eyes lingering on the bakery.

"Don't you need to look after your kitten?"

"Yes, I do. But unlike you, I will actually look after him."

Ladybug zipped away on her yoyo, towards where she had seen Chat Noir take off. She looked at her yoyo, and spotted the paw print at the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug swung to the tower, seeing Chat Noir sitting right on the edge.

Ladybug landed quietly, careful not to startle him. She approached slowly, seeing his cat ears perk up.

"Kitten?"

Chat Noir didn't respond.

Ladybug sat down next to him and looked at his face.

"Are you okay?"

Chat Noir shook his head.

"Please go, please leave me alone."

"Why?"

"Because I'm bad luck!" Chat Noir cried, accidentally pushing Ladybug into the middle of the platform. "See! I just keep hurting everyone! Just leave me alone, please! Then I won't be able to hurt you anymore."

"You're hurting yourself by doing this-"

"It's better than hurting you." Chat Noir muttered.

"No." Ladybug walked up to him again, putting the Peacock and Butterfly miraculous into her yoyo, then putting her yoyo around her waist. "It's not better."

Chat Noir looked at her, clearly fighting against himself to stay.

Ladybug stepped closer and took his hand. She spoke in a soft whisper.

"You hurting yourself hurts me. You mean so, so much to me, and I don't want to lose you. Your father... he will get better. Did you bring him the miraculous so he would heal faster, like you did?"

Chat Noir nodded, not meeting her eyes.

"That was nice of you, you know. But, it wasn't the best idea to give a miraculous to someone who had already proven they wouldn't use it properly, was it?"

Chat Noir shook his head.

Ladybug took his other hand and gave both is hands a gentle squeeze. She looked carefully at his expression, trying to guess at what he may be thinking or feeling.

He suddenly took her in a hug.

"I'm sorry, so, so sorry!"

"You don't need to be. You've done nothing wrong."

Ladybug rubbed her hand over his back, the sounds of Chat Noir sobbing the only thing she heard.

...

Nathalie watched as Ladybug zipped away on her yoyo. Nathalie looked back to the bakery. If Marinette was Ladybug, which she probably was, the Miracle Box would most likely be hidden in her bedroom. If Nathalie could get it, she and Gabriel would have almost all of the miraculouses' powers at their fingertips.

Nathalie looked at the building. She tried the door, but it was locked. She would probably have to climb. Nathalie sucked in a breath and grabbed onto the nearest pipe. She used it to climb onto the roof. She jumped and almost fell at the sudden sound of a nearby siren.

Nathalie looked onto the balcony and slid onto it, then glanced into the open trapdoor. She raised her eyebrows when she saw the open Miracle Box dumped on the bed. Nathalie landed on the bed and hesitantly reached to the spotted box.

So much power, was held in this thing. So much power would now belong to her...

And Gabriel, of course.

Nathalie thought about what Ladybug had said, about leaving Gabriel to get help. That would probably be beneficial, and allow him to think as he healed.

Nathalie's mind returned towards the Miracle Box again. Her hands grasped around it, shaking. She climbed onto the balcony again, squinting as saw something approaching. She balled her fists around the Miracle Box when she saw Ladybug, closely followed by Chat Noir.

"Mayu- Nathalie!" Ladybug landed on the balcony.

She threw her yoyo around her, tying Nathalie's arms around her body, causing her to drop the Miracle Box.

Chat Noir cautiously approached and picked up it up, clutching it close to his chest.

Ladybug picked up Nathalie's restrained body and brought her back down to the road.

"That was low, you know."

"Say you."

Ladybug made Nathalie sit down, still tied up in the yoyo. Ladybug then turned to the ambulance which had arrived a few moments earlier.

She called over one of the ambulance people over.

"This person here is injured too-" Ladybug started

"I'm no-"

"If she isn't injured, she can go straight to prison. She was Mayura." Ladybug told the worker.

The worker nodded and called over a few others.

Ladybug could see she was no longer needed. She waved and leapt onto the roof, seeing Chat Noir in the exact same position. Ladybug landed in front of him and took the Miracle Box from him, then led him into her bedroom by his hand.

"You're safe now, kitten, no one's going to hurt you."

Chat Noir opened him mouth but Ladybug interrupted him.

"And you are _not_ hurting anyone by being here, okay? I want you here, and I need you here."

Chat Noir hesitantly nodded.

Ladybug's eyes wandered down his body, to his shaking knees. She led him to the chaise and sat him down.

"What happened today was not your fault. You did... the right thing. He will recover, and you will too."

Ladybug placed her hand on his lower stomach, frowning as he shuddered slightly. She looked back up to his face, and wiped away the single tear that had slid down his face.

Ladybug embraced him in a hug, feeling his heartbeat through his suit.

"Don't worry, it's over now."

She felt him nod into her shoulder.

"You still haven't slept properly, have you?"

She heard him whine as she pulled away.

"Being tired isn't going to help you, in any way. Your stomach should have healed a lot by the morning."

"I-if I do go to sleep, are you- are you going to leave me again?"

Ladybug looked at his dejected face.

"No. I'm never going to leave you again. I'm really sorry I did before, I just really wanted to catch them and get the miraculouses. Speaking of miraculouses, I should put these away."

She opened the Miracle Box and put the Peacock and Butterfly miraculous inside.

"Now, we just need to put the Ladybug and Cat miraculouses in, and it'll be full."

Chat Noir nodded, lying down on his back to ease the strain on his stomach. He watched Ladybug switch off the light and walk over him.

"Don't worry, kitten. Everything will be okay. I promise."

Ladybug lay down beside him and let him roll over slightly onto her, burying his face in her neck.

...

Hawkmoth brushed his hand over the objects on the table. He picked up a small dagger and let the blade scratch on the table, creating a sick metallic sound that echoed around.

Chat Noir shivered. He tried to squirm away as Hawkmoth stalked closer, but the chair he was bound to didn’t allow much movement.

Hawkmoth tilted the blade, reflecting a small beam of light around the room, before resting it just above Chat Noir’s eyes.

“Scared, are we?”

Chat Noir looked at him, his face betraying him as he tried to hide his fear. Hawkmoth cocked his head to the side as the corners of his lips perked up.

“I was scared, when you pushed me off that roof. Did you care? No, you don’t care about anyone other than yourself.”

“I-I didn’t mean to pu-”

“And yet, you still did.” Hawkmoth snarled at the quivering kitten before him.

Hawkmoth aimed the dagger and threw it, and it embedded itself in the muscle of Chat Noir’s arm.

Chat Noir gasped in pain.

Hawkmoth crouched down so that they were both at the same eye level.

“Did you enjoy that?”

But Chat Noir didn’t hear him, as he was too busy trying to control the stabbing pain from his arm.

“You didn’t?” Hawkmoth put on a dramatic pout. “You partner did.”

“M-m-my p-partner? L-Ladybug?” Chat Noir stuttered, looking around desperately.

Hawkmoth nodded. “Yes. She was very eager to allow you to be tortured first.”

“She- she was?”

Hawkmoth ignored him and walked into the darkness, then returned with a chair in his arms. He put the chair on the ground, and let Chat Noir look at the person bound to it.

“L-Ladybug? What- what has he done to you?”

“He hasn’t done anything to me. I told him to torture you.” Ladybug said, her tone annoyed and bored.

“B-but, why? I didn’t do anything!”

Ladybug’s calm blue eyes became a storm.

“Exactly! That’s the problem! You never do anything! You just stand there making these puns and stupid jokes! I do all the work and yet you still get some of the credit! And whenever you do do something, other people get hurt! Sometimes, I really wish you would just die.”

Chat Noir felt his heart drop and shatter on the cold emptiness of his stomach.

Hawkmoth smirked and raised an eyebrow.

“You said ‘sometimes’. What about those other times, Ladybug?”

“In those other times, I had wanted him to be in a situation just like this. Completely vulnerable and defenceless, with the truth like a thorn in his heart.” Ladybug grinned at them.

Hawkmoth looked back to Chat Noir.

“How do you feel now, kitten? Ladybug doesn’t want you. Your mother didn’t want you. Not even I want you.”

Chat Noir sniffed and looked at the floor. Hawkmoth clenched his jaw and punched Chat Noir on his jaw, the force of the punch knocking the chair backwards.

Chat Noir fell onto his back, his arms trapped at an awkward angle beneath his body and the chair.

“Well, isn’t this fun…” Hawkmoth said, walking out of Chat Noir’s view.

He can back a few moments later with Ladybug held tightly in his arms. Hawkmoth slowly reached for her earrings.

“Quick, Chat Noir, stop him!” Ladybug cried.

Chat Noir wriggled against the ropes holding him to the chair, but wasn’t strong enough.

Hawkmoth pulled the earrings out of Ladybug’s ears, and a red light flashed, revealing Marinette in her place. Hawkmoth released her and looked gleefully at the earrings in his hands.

Marinette walked up to Chat Noir, who was still lying on the floor. He squirmed away as she raised her foot.

She smashed her foot into his right eye, grinning darkly as he screamed. He looked at her with his left eye, trying to ignore the fact that his right eye was now mangled and bloody.

She kicked his left eye, hearing him yell in agony again. He tried looking around, but both most of his vision had gone. He looked up at the blurry figure of Marinette walking back to Hawkmoth.

He mustered up all of his strength and broke the ropes binding his wrists together. He stood up, pressing through the wave of dizziness that passed over him. He stumbled over to Marinette, frowning when she stepped away from him in disgust.

She spotted the blood spilling out of his arm and lunged at him, sticking one of her fingers into the spot the dagger had been.

Chat Noir instinctively swatted at her hand, and crumbled at the look of horror that appeared on Marinette’s face.

“How dare you touch me, you filthy stray!” Marinette kicked him in the knees, anger still evident on her face as she watched him fall to the ground.

Chat Noir felt another wave of dizziness, and reached a hand out to Marinette, silently begging her to let him apologize.

Marinette kicked his hand away and stomped on it, a grimace appearing on her face when he whimpered.

“Shut up!” Marinette yelled, kicking him again in the face. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Just shut up!”

Chat Noir coughed, feeling blood flow into his nose and mouth, choking him again.

Again?

He didn’t remember this happening before. Him choking just felt… familiar.

Marinette stepped back, grinning at his destroyed face. She looked at Hawkmoth, and screamed as he plunged a long knife into her chest. Marinette fell onto her back and looked at Chat Noir, muttering one final sentence before her eyes became glassy.

“This is your fault.”

Chat Noir crawled over to her, as if he would be able to revive her.

Hawkmoth kicked him away from her body.

“She doesn't want you, leave her alone!”

“B-b-but, she-”

“Wanted you to shut up, so shut up!” Hawkmoth whacked Chat Noir’s shoulder with his cane. “She wanted to die, so she wouldn’t have to think about you! Your mother wanted to die, so she wouldn’t have to think about you!”

Chat Noir curled up, wanting to deny the facts, but he was sure that deep down he knew what Hawkmoth was saying was true.

“Look at me.”

Chat Noir did so.

“You are the cause of all this. You. Not even I can stand living with the thought of you. Which is why, I am going to…”

“N-no! Father, please!” Chat Noir cried.

Hawkmoth kicked him away, then plunged the bloody blade in his own chest. He collapsed onto the floor.

“Who’s fault is this?” Hawkmoth asked.

Chat Noir sobbed into the floor.

“Mine.”

...

Ladybug opened her yoyo in the dark, seeing a reporter reporting outside the hospital. Ladybug turned the volume down and put on subtitles so she didn't wake Chat Noir up.

_"-where Gabriel Agreste, formerly known as Hawkmoth according to Ladybug, is being taken out of an ambulance. It appears that he has several injuries, such as multiple broken ribs, broken ankle and broken arm. Nathalie Sancoeur is also being taken into the hospital for minor injuries. The police would like to talk to Ladybug and Chat Noir about the happenings that caused the injuries, as well as other queries that have been put forward. Ladybug and Chat Noir have not appeared yet."_

Ladybug leaned back and rested her head on the pillows behind her, her hand lowering, causing the light from the yoyo to dimly illuminate the area.

This was probably going to become a big mess, especially if Gabriel and Nathalie told people about she and Chat Noir's identities.

But, did keeping their identity a secret really matter anymore? There was no more Hawkmoth, no more Mayura, no more miraculous problems.

Nothing stopping she and Chat Noir from being together.

And yet, there was.

Gabriel was in hospital, and he would probably be causing problems with Adrien, as well as their identities.

Or, maybe he wouldn't.

Maybe he was decent enough to allow his son to live in peace.

Ladybug seriously doubted that. Gabriel had tried to kill his own son, and he had succeeded in torturing him, both emotionally and physically.

Her arms moved by their own will and brought Chat Noir's face closer to her's, allowing her to hear the soft whimper that escaped his partially opened lips.

She had really wished she had noticed his heavy breathing and sweat covered forehead a few moments earlier. She shook his gently, but that didn't seem to do anything.

She shook his more violently, but he only whined in response. Her eyes moved down to his lower stomach. Giving him a little prod there would definitely wake him up...

"I'm sorry, kitten..."

She poked his stomach, watching him uneasily as he shrivelled in on himself. Just a bit more pressure, and he would wake up.

She bit her lip and gave him the softest punch possible on his stab wound. A wave of relief came over her as he shuddered and opened his eyes.

"L-Ladybug? You- you're alive? You're alive!"

He flung his arms around her and hugged her as tight as he could, knocking the air out of her.

"Yes, I'm fine. You're fine. Just breath. Yes, just like that - in and out."

Ladybug rubbed his back as he struggled to regain a normal breathing pattern.

"Did he- is he okay?" Chat Noir asked, his words slightly muffled due to his face being pressed into her neck.

"He's going at get better. But, it's not- no, look at me, kitten. It is not your fault. Do you hear me? It is not your fault."

Chat Noir pulled away, frowning when he saw Ladybug's neck and shoulder shining with his tears. He met her eyes, blurred slightly with her own tears.

"Don't cry, M'lady."

Ladybug smiled at him. "But, you're crying too."

He dropped his head, cringing as a few tears fell onto the soft fabric of the chaise.

"Sorry..."

"Don't be sorry, you've got nothing to be sorry for."

He sniffed and looked up, the yoyo catching his eye. He reached for it, not seeing Ladybug look at him worriedly. She pulled him away and sat him beside her, holding the yoyo so they could both see.

"Try to stay calm, okay?"

Chat Noir nodded, playing with Ladybug's hand as he watched the video continue. The screen flashed to a picture of Emilie, before cutting back to the reporter.

_"This is Emilie Agreste, the wife of Gabriel Agreste, who had formerly been believed to have been either missing or dead. This is confirmed to be her. Close family members, such as Amelie Graham de Vanily and Félix Graham de Vanily have been asked to come to Paris, and they have confirmed that they will arrive in Paris soon, however, their date of arrival is currently unknown."_

"Félix is my cousin. Amelie is my mother's sister. I think you've met Félix before."

"I have? When?"

"When we fought Lady Wifi, Reflekta and Princess Fragrance at the same time, remember?"

"Oh, yeah... he tried to kiss me." Ladybug said, annoyance filling her as she relived the memory in her mind.

"Did you- did you let him?" Chat Noir asked quietly.

"Of course not, I could tell he wasn't really you."

"You could? How?"

"You, kitten, are selfless and always put others before yourself. You would never force me to kiss you, I know that." Ladybug squeezed his hand, smiling at the faint blush that covered Chat Noir's cheeks.

_"-cation of Adrien Agreste is considered classified information for his own privacy, but his location is known to the police. He will be called in the morning to check his status. Anything he says will also be considered as classified information for his own privacy, as well as his acquaintances."_

"Do you think Nathalie told them you were here?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

"Would she have revealed your identity?"

"Probably not. She said she didn't want to hurt me when I was-" Chat Noir gestured to the area around the bed, "over there."

Ladybug nodded, sensing the topic was making him anxious.

_"-ody will be checked for any signs of life. It is most likely she will be found unresponsive, but we are currently unsure of what will happen to the body."_

"Who are they talking about?"

"I think they're talking about your mother..."

Chat Noir looked down, fiddling with Ladybug's hand again, because he didn't want to feel the emotions he knew would hurt him.

"You can't just bury the emotions or bottle them up. It'll be easier in the end to just... feel them."

He nodded, resting his head on her shoulder as he sobbed.

He had accepted that she was gone and wasn't coming back.

Then, he had accepted the possibility that she may actually be alive.

And now, he was going to have to accept the fact that she probably was dead again, and never coming back.

"That's right, kitten, just let it out." Ladybug whispered, turning so that she could hug him as he cried.

She turned her back to the darkness, letting her arms wrap protectively around the broken kitten.

...

Félix looked out of the window, seeing the rain splatter on the window, distorting the image of the rising sun in the distance.

He ran a hand through his hair, picking out some clothes from the wardrobe. He changed, slipping his phone into his back pocket. He went into the kitchen, seeing Amelie already ready to leave.

"Good morning, Félix."

"Good morning. You seem stressed, is everything okay?"

Amelie sighed, drinking some water.

"You know about what happened with your uncle. I feel like we are going to be suspects, as if we knew about him and his secretary being holders of the miraculouses. Why else would they seem so eager for us to go to Paris as soon as possible?"

"They didn't seem that eager on the phone." Félix started, then realised his mistake too late.

"Were you listening when I was on the phone? I thought you were asleep! Why were you up so late at night?"

"I just... wanted to make sure everything was okay..."

Amelie sighed again.

"Well, I suppose it's best you knew anyway. They really were eager though. That's why they offered to let us stay at Le Grand Paris for free."

"That's... wow... they really are eager..."

Amelie nodded, breaking eye contact.

"I trust that you've already packed a bag?" Amelie asked.

"Yes, I put it in the corridor by the door next to your bag."

"Good." Amelie glanced at the clock behind Félix. "We have almost 2 hours until the train leaves for Paris. I'll get breakfast ready."

Félix nodded, his blond hair barely moving.

He looked back outside the window, seeing his cousin look back in the reflection.

...

Ladybug brushed Chat Noir's hair out of his eyes. His eyes were closed, but she could tell he was still awake by the way he was clutching her hand.

"You've got to sleep, you know."

"Why? It's not like we have school tomorrow..."

"Well, no... but you're still going to have to deal with the public now knowing about your father-"

"He's not my father."

"What? Who said that?"

"He did."

"When?"

"When he- when he-" Chat Noir's voice cracked. His hand hovered above his stomach. He whispered, but his voice still cracked. "Do you think I'm going to be like him?"

Ladybug raised her eyebrows at the question, despite having seen it coming.

"You're going to be whoever you choose to be. He chose his path, and you're going to chose your path too. I seriously doubt you'll go down the same road he did."

"But, there's still a chance-"

"No, there's not. I know you, kitten. You put others before yourself, there's no way you would do what he did to you to someone else."

"But I'm always hurting you and everyone else!"

"No, you're not. What happened on the roof was not your fault at all."

Chat Noir looked away, getting lost in his thoughts.

"What are you thinking?"

"Sometimes, I just want to erase the past, you know... to make it as if none of this ever happened." Chat Noir said, his eyes looking back up at her.

She felt her body stiffen.

_Erase the past._

Chat Blanc had wanted to do that.

"Ladybug, are you okay? Marinette?" Chat Noir frowned when she didn't respond. "Marinette?"

"Oh, sorry, yeah, hi-"

"What were _you_ thinking? You looked a bit scared."

"I am scared..."

"Why? Was it something- was it something I said, or did?"

"It's... complicated..."

"You've helped me, let me help you."

Ladybug shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes.

_"I suggest you tell him about Chat Blanc, but... look after him."_

If Bunnyx thought it would be best...

"Listen, Chat Noir, there's something I need to tell you about. I'm going to need you to not interrupt and not freak out. The stuff is... pretty messed up..."

"More messed up than what's happened recently?"

Ladybug nodded.

"I'm going to tell you the whole thing, right from the beginning. Do you remember when I delivered that beurrexx to your room, and said that it was from a fan club in Brazil?"

Chat Noir nodded.

"That wasn't from a fan club. It was from me. But, somehow you had worked out my identity from it. I had originally thought you had told someone, which led to Chat Noir knowing my identity, but now," Ladybug brought him into a hug, affectionately ruffling his hair as he nuzzled her. "But now, I know that my two favourite people was just the most awesome guy ever."

"I'm your two favourite people?" Chat Noir asked, his eyes sparkling. "Oh, wait, no sorry, never mind, I interrupte-"

"It's fine. And yes, you are. Anyway, something caused you to be- to be akumatised, into Chat Blanc."

Ladybug gently squeezed Chat Noir's hand as he tensed.

"That wasn't your fault either. But, you did get akumatised, and everyone... everyone was... gone..."

"I-I'm sorr-"

"Don't even think about apologising for that. Chat Blanc wasn't your fault, and this isn't either."

Chat Noir rolled away from her. It had to be his fault. He was akumatised! He had failed Ladybug, he had failed Paris, and everyone else. He had even failed _himself_.

Chat Noir crouched onto the floor and darted to the trapdoor above the bed. He heard Ladybug telling him to come back, but he couldn't.

She deserved better than him. Everyone deserved better than him.

Chat Noir scrambled onto the railing of the balcony, suppressing a whine as his stomach tensed and pulsed.

He glanced back for a moment, seeing Ladybug throw her yoyo around his ankle. He struggled to get free, then brought his right hand onto the string. He slipped his nail between his ankle and the string, giving him just enough space to get his foot loose.

He kicked it away and ran, desperate for Ladybug to stop following him.

Why was she following him, anyway?

He was nothing, just a mere distraction. She didn't need him.

No one did.

What people _needed_ was for him to go away!

Chat Noir turned back once again, seeing Ladybug throw her yoyo in his direction.

He fell face down towards the road.

He shut his eyes tight, waiting for the inpact that would surely hurt a lot.

And the impact that never came.

He opened his eyes slowly, shaking slightly from fear.

Chat Noir noticed his ankle was tied around a lamppost, the black string of Ladybug's yoyo wrapping then tightly together.

"Shh, calm down, breathe, remember."

Ladybug said to the upside-down cat. She untied him and let him stand on his own feet.

She kept the yoyo tied around his ankle and gripped his wrist tightly so that he wouldn't try to run again.

"You know, I might have to put a collar and leash on you, if you keep running of like this..." Ladybug said, trying to make a joke that didn't carry too much weight.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a good thing to say to him.

Chat Noir started shaking. He couldn't have a collar on him, or it would be just like when he had been taken. He looked around, frantically trying to find an escape.

His legs moved without him meaning to move them, and he tripped on the yoyo string, causing his head to hit the lamp post.

He felt the pain, but only for the briefest moment, before he blacked out.

...

"Why do you do this you yourself, kitten?"

Ladybug crouched down and checked on him, quickly realising that he had just knocked himself out. She picked him up and untangle her yoyo, throwing it to the bakery.

She lay him on the chaise and wondered how he could get him to let go of the guilt he feels.

The only think she came up with was showing him that it wasn't his fault.

Maybe Bunnyx would let him see how he got akumatised?

Ladybug herself was curious, too.

"Bunnyx? Can you come?" Ladybug called out to seemingly no one.


	19. Chapter 19

Ladybug cradled Chat Noir's head in her hands as she looked around the room. She held her hand up to shied her eyes from the light of the white burrow that opened a few metres away.

"Minibug?" Bunnyx stuck her head through the burrow, recognition lighting in her eyes when she saw the heroes.

"Yeah, hi... do you think you can show Chat Noir what caused him to become akumatised? I want him to see that it's not his fault that he became- no, would beco- no, that's not right... uh, just make him see that the whole Chat Blanc thing was not his fault."

Bunnyx nodded. "Obviously, we can't right now, because he's unconscious. He's going to wake up a about an hour. The sun will rise around then too, and there's going to be a lot of commotion, so I suggest you get some sleep."

"Okay... so in an hour you'll show us how he got akumatised?"

"Yep, I'll see you then, Minibug. You too, Kitty Noir." Bunnyx went back into the burrow and allowed it to close behind her.

Ladybug lay Chat Noir on the chaise, and pondered about taking his miraculous so he wouldn't run. He might still try, and he wouldn't heal nearly as quickly without being Chat Noir.

Maybe, she could restrain him somehow? Her eyes fell to the yoyo on her waist.

...

Félix sat down on the window seat as Amelia sat down next to him. She leaned back and closed her eyes, eager to have a few moments of rest before they arrived in Paris. Félix did the same, thinking about the coldness he had received from Gabriel when he was last there. The same Gabriel who had been a miraculous holder and was rumoured to have tortured Chat Noir.

The same Gabriel who had kept his son locked up in his house for pretty much his whole life.

Félix had no idea how Adrien was feeling, and wasn't sure he wanted to find out. He opened his eyes and turned on his phone, tuning in to a live stream held by Nadja Chamack.

 _"-re still unsure of how to deal with Miss Rossi, due to the lack of solid evidence to_ _prove she has committed these crimes. Ladybug has been asked to show evidence to support her accusation. The officer who Ladybug came to has repeated what Ladybug said. Ladybug claimed Miss Rossi had 'stolen two miraculouses and had refused to hand them over'. As Ladybug also mentioned, this crime is theft."_

Félix raised his eyebrows. If this 'Miss Rossi' managed to steal miraculouses, it probably meant either she was quite powerful, or Ladybug and Chat Noir were weak. Maybe even both.

_"Gabriel Agreste's crimes are much more severe, as are Nathalie Sancoeur's. Their crimes involve forms of terrorism. There is a common rumour that the two, as Hawkmoth and Mayura respectively, have tortured Chat Noir. This has been previously stated by Ladybug, but Parisian officials are asking for confirmation. Chat Noir has not reciaved any medical attention, which is why some people doubt that he had been tortured. No motive has been put forward, either, other than Agreste and Sancoeur wishing to bring back Emilie Agreste."_

Félix's eyes widened and he looked to Amelie. He gently shook her and she opened her eyes.

"Are we in Paris already?"

"No, I- uh... did you know about Aunt Emilie?"

Amelia looked at him sadly.

"Of course I know, Félix dear, we have know for over a year no-"

"No, not about her... passing. About her being underneath the Agreste mansion?"

"What? After all this time, Emilie was under the Agreste mansion... how do you know?"

Félix held up his phone, as Amelie's eyes filled with unspoken emotion.

"Did Gabriel-" Amelie cleared her throat. "Did Gabriel do something to her?"

"They didn't say. They just said she may have been a motive - like they wanted to bring her back."

"They could have brought her back? Why- why didn't they? If they could bring her back..." Amelie muttered, mostly to herself.

Félix heard her. She wanted her sister back.

Who should he be, to deny his mother of what she wants?

...

Chat Noir's eyes flickered open, and he looked around. He was in Marinette's bedroom, but he had no idea how he'd gotten there. The last thing he remembered was running away from Ladybug...

...because he had learnt about Chat Blanc.

He had learnt about how he had failed all of Paris, his friends, Ladybug, himself, and everyone, by letting himself get akumatised.

Chat Noir sniffed and tried to get up, but felt tight strings holding him to the chaise. He knitted his brows and pulled against them, feeling him heartbeat rapidly increasing. The string didn't come loose. He looked to the side of the chaise, seeing Ladybug's yoyo tucked roughly beneath the chaise.

Ladybug had done this to him?

No, she wouldn't... maybe his fa- Gabriel Agreste had?

No, he couldn't have as he was in hospital... because of him.

Nathalie was with Gabriel, so she wouldn't have tied him.

So, that left only Ladybug.

But why would she do this to him.

Maybe... maybe she wanted to teach him a lesson, just like Hawkmoth and Mayura had taught him how worthless he was.

Chat Noir gulped and looked around, grateful for his night vision. He saw Ladybug hop down onto the floor and walk towards him, a thin object in his hand.

Was that a knife, or were his panic filled eyes deceiving him?

Chat Noir struggled harder against the string, pressing himself into the chaise as she crouched down, dropping the object on the floor.

He furrowed his brow. Wasn't she going to hurt him with it?

He deserved it, that's for sure.

He stopped moving and held himself still, eyes pressed tightly as he waited for her to do something.

"Sorry, I just didn't want you running away again." Ladybug muttered quietly, softly stroking his cheek with her hand.

Chat Noir bit his lip. She didn't want him to run away again. She didn't want him to escape. She wanted him held still while she gave him what he deserved.

He heard her bend over him, and released a fearful whimper.

"Was I leaning on you? Sorry, I just need to unwrap you..." Ladybug took her yoyo off him, and heard him breathe normally as the pressure on his stomach was released. "Oh, I didn't realise it was that tight, sorry..."

Chat Noir murmured a quiet 'it's okay' to her, before sitting up with his hand on his stomach. He looked at Ladybug with a confused expression on his face as she called Bunnyx.

"She'll come. She's going to show us how you got akumatised into Chat Blanc, so that you see it's not your fault." Ladybug said, taking his hand.

"But it is my fault! I'm the one who let my emotions get the better of me! I'm the one who let the akuma win! I'm the one who can't control myself! I'm the one who's worthless!"

"What, Chat Noir, no! None of that's true! Of course you're not wor-"

"I am! I couldn't even escape Hawkmoth and Mayura when they had me!"

"You were chained the roof hanging from your broken arm, no one could have escaped!"

"When I was in that other room, the first one. I could have escaped, I had a chance, I saw it! But I walked to the window slowly, because I thought I was some hero who could actually escape. Why don't you just leave me? You'll be better off without me, and you know it." Chat Noir pulled his hand out of her grasp and was about to walk away from her when she tackled him to the ground.

"You _are_ a hero, Chat Noir! And about how you didn't manage to escape, I am telling you that there was _no way_ you could have escaped two adult miraculous holders, especially when you were in such a weak state. You mean everything to me, kitten, and I never want to lose you." Ladybug said, seeing him blink back tears. "I am never going to leave you, because I _don't want_ to leave you. You're my partner, remember?"

Chat Noir swallowed and looked at her, his vision blurring. He got lost in her eyes, and in the sea of love that she had for him.

"Minibug?" Bunnyx's voice spoke out.

"Bunnyx, have you been... just standing there-"

"Maybe, anyway, you wanted to show him the origins of Chat Blanc?" Bunnyx asked, stepping aside so Ladybug could see the burrow.

Ladybug turned to Chat Noir and took his hand, helping him off the ground. She pulled him up and squeezed his hand, refusing to let go.

"Yes." Ladybug said firmly.

She led him to the burrow and stepped inside, grinning at the awed expression Chat Noir wore as he looked around inside the burrow. He tried pulling away to see closer into one of the other burrows, but Ladybug held him too tightly.

Bunnyx passed them and held her hand above one of the burrows, letting the image become clearer.

Ladybug was seen zipping out of Adrien's bedroom on her yoyo, while Adrien came in, just seeing her leave.

"I believe this was the first thing that caused Chat Noir's eventual akumatisation." Bunnyx said, watching Chat Noir's expression carefully.

...

Félix watched the video carefully, pausing the screen when Chat Noir's ring was clearly in view.

It looked like the ring was on the fourth finger on his right hand. Félix could easily take that.

He went onto a different video, one that featured Ladybug. Her miraculous was her earrings, and would be harder to take. Félix forwarded through the video, abruptly pausing when he had a clear shot of the back of Ladybug's head. He zoomed in, seeing small backs to the earrings. They would make taking the earrings a bit harder, but he could probably manage.

Now he knew where the miraculouses were, but how could he get them?

Working out their identities would probably take too long.

They probably wouldn't have any reason to come out of... wherever they are, unless there was an akuma attack or something, but, according to the news all the miraculouses had been taken back by Ladybug. He would have to find another way to lure them out.

"Do you think Ladybug and Chat Noir will make an appearance?" Félix asked.

Amelie yawned slightly, opening her eyes to look at him.

"I expect they will. They'll probably want to explain what happened with your uncle..." Amelie paused. "There was always something... cold... about him. Look out for your cousin, he will probably be dealing with painful emotions."

Félix nodded, thinking of the one person who shared the same face as his own. Maybe Adrien wanted to get his mother back, too.

Adrien had always been kept under lock and key, unable to do anything for himself. Perhaps bringing Emilie back for him would make his life brighter.

He would have to find Ladybug and Chat Noir, and take their miraculouses, and get them to tell him how to bring Emilie back.

Easy, right?"

...

"And that's what happened." Bunnyx said.

Chat Noir gulped.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug asked from beside him.

"I- d-don't know..."

Ladybug glanced uneasily at Bunnyx, who nodded to the burrow that would take them back to their present. Ladybug looked back to Chat Noir, and led him back to the burrow by his hand.

"I told you, kitten. Chat Blanc wasn't your fault. You don't need to worry about that."

"B-but he was me- I let the akuma win- you saw-"

"I saw you fight it as best as you could, and continue to fight the akuma when you became Chat Blanc. Who else would have been able to do that?"

"Someone better than me."

"No one would make a better Chat Noir than you." Ladybug stepped through the burrow and pulled Chat Noir in after her. "Come on now, I think someone's supposed to call you or something."

Ladybug and Chat Noir stepped back inside the bedroom, hearing Bunnyx say 'goodbye' before closing the burrow.

...

Amelie stood in one of the front rows, Félix be her side. They had dropped their stuff off at Le Grande Paris a while ago, and were now waiting for Ladybug and Chat Noir to show up. Her eyes widened as she spotted the two heroes running along the rooftops and then landing on the stage in front of the crowd.

Amelia had never seen the heroes so close before, and she could tell Félix was just as excited as she was to see them.

"Hello, people of Paris," Ladybug started, stepping forward confidently, while Chat Noir stood beside her nervously. "As you may already know, Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur have been revealed to be the miraculous holders Hawkmoth and Mayura. Chat Noir and I have taken their miraculouses, and we are happy to confirm that there will be no more akuma or amok attacks in Paris."

"You may be wondering what happened last night, when Agreste was found injured on the side of a road, Sancoeur with him. They had been attempting to retrieve the miraculouses, which I had taken from them a few hours prior. During those few hours, the Butterfly and Peacock miraculouses had been stolen by someone else, Lila Rossi."

Félix frowned. Lila Rossi was one of the people who had sent Adrien the video that last time Félix had visited.

"She is currently in the hands of justice. As for Agreste and Sancoeur, they have injuries which need to be attended to, which is why they are in the hospital." Ladybug paused. "Does anyone have any questions?"

There was silence for a moment, before a journalist spoke up.

"Ladybug, are the rumours about what happened with Chat Noir true?"

Ladybug opened her mouth, sucking in a breath as she looked behind her to Chat Noir. Félix saw him give her a tiny nod, before she looked back to the journalist.

"Yes, unfortunately, the rumours that involve Chat Noir being help against his will by Hawkmoth and Mayura are true."

"But was he tortured?" the journalist asked.

"Yes, he was." Ladybug said quickly. "Any other questions?"

Another journalist stepped forward with their hand raised.

"Will you and Chat Noir remain active?"

"We... we are thinking about that. Currently, there is no need for superheroes, but we could remain active, and focus more on crime perhaps." Ladybug said. "Or, we might retire as miraculous holders. I know we could use a break."

Félix frowned. If Ladybug and Chat Noir retired as superheroes, there would be no way he could get their miraculouses. He got lost in his thoughts, ignoring most of the other questions before the Mayor stepped onto the stage.

"Thank you, Ladybug, Chat Noir, and all your heroic friends. In honour of you, I am holding a party at my very own hotel to show Paris' gratitude for all that you've done."

The crowd cringed as a high pitched 'no!' was heard, originating from Chloé Bourgeois, who had been texting on her phone the entire time.

"You want to thank these- these- horrible people when they took away my miraculous! I am Queen Bee! I never got a party, so why should they?" Chloé screamed.

"Chloé dear, they have saved Paris from Hawkmoth and Mayura-"

"I don't care! I could have done it so much better and quicker as Queen Bee!"

"Chloé, I've already told you that you can not be Queen Bee again because Hawkmoth and Mayura had known your identity. I took your miraculous away to protect you and those around you. And, in case you didn't remember, you willingly became akumatised into Miracle Queen." Ladybug crossed her arms.

"What? No! Hawkmoth... forced me! He forced me into becoming Miracle Queen!" Chloé said, appearing desperate.

"No, he didn't. You were not in a weak emotional state. You could have tried to reject the akuma. I've seen people fight it." Ladybug said, not noticing Chat Noir's ears perk up. "If you really wanted to, you could have stopped the akuma from taking you over. Everyone who had been akumatised was in a negative emotional state, but you were just a bit frustrated."

Chloé scoffed.

"Ugh! Whatever! That party is going to be utterly ridiculous anyway!" ChloFélix said, flicking her hair into people's faces as she left.

Félix watched her leave. She was another one of Adrien's friends. Perhaps she could help him...

He slipped back into the people and called out to her as she turned the corner.

"Chloé? Chloé! Wait up! I think I-" Félix called, running after her.

"You wha-" Chloé's eyes widened as she saw him. "Adrien? What are you wearing... and what is with your hair?"

"No, I'm not Adrien, I'm Félix, his cousin. You... you really care about him, don't you?"

"Uh, duh! We are the closest people can ever get!" Chloé said, looking at him dreamily.

"Yeah... you are. You know about his mother, right?"

"Of course I do. Why?"

"I think we can bring her back for him."

Chloé stepped back, suddenly cautious. "Why? You-"

"I want to bring her back, for Adrien... and also my mother. She was devastated when she died."

"And why do you need me?"

"Because you can get me into that party." Félix said. "And, I think you also have a score to settle with Ladybug, don't you?"

...

"Are we going to go to that party?" Adrien asked.

He was lying on the chaise, Marinette checking his stomach to make sure it was healing well.

"Well, I guess it's a chance to be recognised for what we've done. Or, more like what you've done." Marinette said, pulling Adrien's shirt down over his almost-fully-healed stab wound.

"What do you mean?"

"I have always been recognised for being a hero... and you haven't. Like with all the other heroes, there was this constant buzz about them in Paris, like with Ladybug. But with you... no one seemed to notice you, even when you are the one who has sacrificed the most."

Marinette paused, drinking in the blush Adrien now wore.

"It's time you get the credit you deserve."

She placed a small kiss on his cheek, giggling when his cheek darkened even more. She turned when she heard someone knock on the trapdoor - Sabine calling them down to eat.

"Coming, Mama!" Marinette called, looking back to Adrien. "As I've said before, we're Ladybug and Chat Noir. Ladybug by itself doesn't sound half as cool."

"And then I said that you shouldn't stay things like that to me."

"And now, I'm going to say stuff like that to you as much as possible, because you look adorable when you get all flustered." Marinette leaned in close, poking his nose gently. "Don't you?"

"I- uh- m-me? N-no-"

Marinette grinned, opening the trapdoor and going down the steps, Adrien following her.

...

"So, this is the plan." Chloé said, laying the sheet of paper onto the table.

"Hang on, what are you wearing?" Félix asked.

"What do you mean? This is my spy gear!"

"We're not- we're not spies, Chloé..."

She rolled her eyes and looked back to the sheet.

"You'll be here. I'll get her to drink lots of wine, an-"

"Look, Chloé, how about you leave all this stuff to me, and you take care of getting me into the party?"

"That's easy, though! Come on, give me a real job!" Chloé protested.

"How is it 'easy' to get me into the party?"

"Uh, duh, just ruffle your hair!" Chloé reached up and messed up his hair.

A realisation hit Félix. If, at the party, he pretended to be Adrien, he could maybe ask to talk to Ladybug in private, and would be able to get her miraculous without anyone interrupting, and then he could do the same to Chat Noir.

Or, maybe, since Chat Noir had supposedly been tortured before, Ladybug wouldn't want him to get hurt again... Félix could use that to get them to tell him how to bring Emilie back.

"Oh, Chloé, you are a genius..." Félix muttered under his breath.

...

"Remember what we said, yes? If someone asks you something and you don't want to answer, what do you say?"

"I say- uh- I-I- say- I'm not comfortable with this?" Chat Noir said tightly, clutching her hand even tighter.

"That's it, kitten. You'll be fine. And, if you get nervous, I'm right here next to you."

Chat Noir nodded, walking beside Ladybug, the sun setting. He couldn't believe that, despite enjoying himself with Marinette for most of the day, he still hadn't been able to shake the jitters he felt when the party was announced in the morning.

Still, as she had said earlier, if he got too nervous they would leave, and she would still be by his side, as they were now.

"Ah, Ladybug, you came! And Chat Noir too! This is wonderful! Thank you so much for coming!" Mayor Bourgeois said, greeting them with open arms.

"It was our pleasure to come! Thank you for inviting us!" Ladybug smiled.

"Well, it is your party after all, Ladybug!"

"And Chat Noir's too." Ladybug said.

"Oh, yes, of course..." the Mayor said, nodding to Chat Noir. "There is a variety of drinks at the bar, so I'm sure you will be able to drink."

He nodded to them and walked off to Audrey. Ladybug went over to the bar, and Chat Noir followed her, weaving through the other guests.

"What drinks would be suitable for a cat, do you think?" Ladybug asked the bartender.

"I believe only water would be suitable for cats, especially underage ones, Ladybug," the bartender replied, picking up two glasses.

"Then it's a good thing he's not fully a cat. Chat Noir? What would you like? Chat Noir?" Ladybug said, waving her hand in his face.

"What? Oh, yeah, sorry, I thought I just saw... Adrien..." Chat Noir muttered.

"You saw Adrien? But you are..." Ladybug started, then looked at the bartender, who was casually filling the glasses.

"I think it was Félix." Chat Noir said, eyeing his cousin suspiciously as he walked over to the heroes.

"Hi, I'm Adrien. And, you're Ladybug of course." Félix smiled pleasantly. "Do you mind if we speak in private?"

Chat Noir narrowed his eyes into slits and quickly pulled Ladybug away, so they were out of earshot.

"Can I handle this?" Chat Noir asked, his face pleading her.

"Why?"

"Just so... you know, I can prove-"

"You have nothing to prove, kitten. You're a hero and that's that." Ladybug said.

"I-I know, but still... please? He's family, too!"

Ladybug narrowed her eyes at Félix, then looked back to Chat Noir.

"You handle him, but be careful. We have no idea why he was pretending to be you."

Chat Noir nodded and ran back to Félix, eager to take his chance and prove he could deal with things on his own.

"Hi, Fé- Adrien. Ladybug said I could talk to you, so-:

"Are you sure I can't talk to Ladybug instead?" Félix asked, still pretending to be Adrien. "It's about a personal matter..."

Chat Noir felt his confidence shatter, and subconsciously reached out with his hand to Ladybug, but she wasn't there. He looked around and spotted her talking to Jagged Stone. She offered his an encouraging smile.

"I- uh- L-Ladybug- she- she's busy... I can talk to you... uh... you know... if you want..."

Félix was silent for a few moments, then agreed. He led Chat Noir to the elevator and stepped inside, Chat Noir beside him. When the door closed, the tensions rose.

"I know you're not Adrien." ChatNoir blurted. "You- you're Félix."

Unexpectedly, Félix smiled.

"It looks like you're not as dim as they say."

"What?"

Chat Noir was greeted with a knock around the head, knocking him out cold.

...

Ladybug looked uneasily to Chat Noir as he stepped into the elevator beside Félix. She knew for a fact that Félix was a good fighter, from what she had seen when he sort of joined forces with the Trio of Punishers.

She hoped Chat Noir would be able to handle whatever Félix was planning, he was a superhero, after all!

She knew he was a hero, but she didn't think he knew he was a hero. For him, this was probably a way to prove himself to himself.

Ladybug opened her yoyo, going onto the tracking feature, in an attempt to reassure herself that he was fine. He was moving, quite slowly, through the hallway above. Ladybug put her yoyo back around her waist, smiling as someone else greeted her.

...

Félix sat back in the soft chair, watching the cat closely for any sign of movement. He raised an eyebrow as the hero raised his blindfolded head.

Chat Noir tried to move his head and speak, then a visible wave of horror washed over him as he felt the blindfold and binds keeping his limbs still.

He gulped and his cat ears perked up, trying to listen for any sounds.

Félix stood up, stepping steadily towards the shaking figure clad in black. He let his footsteps be heard.

He stepped slowly around the plush seat the hero was tied to, trailing a finger around Chat Noir's chest just below his neck.

He shivered, his shaking now obvious to Félix.

Félix lowered himself and whispered softly into his ear.

"You seem scared."

Chat Noir tried to squirm away from the voice, but the ropes' grip was too strong.

"Is it true, what they're saying? That you had been tortured before?"

Chat Noir lowered his head and gulped again, giving away his fear.

"I suggest you answer the question."

Félix placed the tip of his finger on the underside of Chat Noir's chin and slowly tipped his head back until his head was pressed against the back of the seat.

"Stay like that. I'm going to get us some drinks. Are you old enough to drink alcohol?"

Félix removed his finger, surprised when Chat Noir held his neck in the uncomfortable position.

He walked away, placing two glasses on the table and pouring water into both.

"Nevermind. You'll have water."

Félix sat down in the seat he had been sitting in before, and looked at the cat.

"I don't want to hurt you, you know."

Chat Noir Adam's apple bobbed in his throat.

"I can see that one if the only exposed areas in your suit, is your throat. It would certainly be a shame if that weakness were to be exploited."

Félix stood up again, and picked up a spoon. He softly rubbed the cold metal edge of the spoon along Chat Noir's neck, seeing him shiver again.

"This is a knife, as you can probably feel. But all you need to worry about, is telling my what I want to know. Is that clear?"

Chat Noir muttered something quietly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. Perhaps you would like some water?"

Félix took one of the glasses of water and splashed it over Chat Noir's face, seeing him splutter and cough and snort as the water went up his nose. He brought his head forward and shook as much of the water away as possible.

Félix sighed loudly and sat back down, placing the glass back on the table.

He let the empty silence sound for almost a minute before he spoke.

"Did I say you could move your head?"

Félix noticed the cat ears press down his head, and his shoulders drop.

"I didn't, did I?"

Chat Noir shook his head, water still dripping down his face.

"Use your voice. Did I say you could move your head?"

"N-no..."

"You're right, I didn't. Are you sorry?"

"Yes..."

"How sorry?"

"V-very s-sorry..."

Felix hummed in approval.

"How about you show me you're sorry, and then I'll let you go..."

Chat Noir looked up, clearly sensing a trick.

"I'm not tricking you, really." Félix walked over to Chat Noir and whispered into his ear. "Is that what they did? Hawkmoth and Mayura? Did they trick you? Did they hurt you?"

Chat Noir squirmed away, desperate not to relive those memories.

"They did, didn't they?"

Chat Noir nodded slowly, his head dropping with shame.

Félix frowned and slowly drew his finger down the side of Chat Noir's head.

"Aww, you poor... kitten." Félix paused. "Yes, I think that sums you up quite well. Completely vulnerable... scared... weak... you're a very easy target."

Félix stood behind Chat Noir and positioned his hands on his neck, his fingers resting just beneath his Adam's apple.

"Tell me, do you know how Gabriel Agreste planned on bringing back his wife?"

Chat Noir gulped again, trying to nudge the fingers away with his chin.

"That's not going to work." Félix leaned in closer. "All you need to do is answer a few simple questions. Are you that incapable? Maybe you deserved what Hawkmoth and Mayura did to you..."

"N-n-no-"

"Looks like someone's found his voice at last. How did Gabriel Agreste plan on bringing back his wife?"

Chat Noir shook his head, tiny droplets of water spraying around.

"Come on, kitten, don't make me have to _press_ you any more than this."

Félix tightened his grip around Chat Noir's neck, hearing him gasp.

"I'm not getting anything out of you, am I? Maybe I'll have some fun with Ladybug instea-"

"No! Please, don't hurt her!"

"Then would you please be willing to participate?"

"I- uh-"

Félix pressed down with his fingers for a few seconds, blocking Chat Noir's airway. He released when he saw spots of dampness coming through the fabric of the blindfold.

"Will you be willing to participate now?"

Chat Noir held still, unsure of what to do or say. He breathed deeply, tearing up when he felt his airway become restricted again.

This time, for a lot longer.

...

Lila fiddled with her thumbs, anxious for one of the first times in her life. She would have a trial, and if she was lucky, no evidence would be found against her. She would get all her friends back, and her life would go back to the perfection it had been.

If she lost the trial...

Lila shook her head. That would surely not be the outcome, so she didn't need to think about that.

Lila thought about how much she had touched. She had been wearing the miraculous' suit when on the rooftops, so there was no chance of her fingerprints being found there, but what about on the actual miraculouses?

Hopefully Ladybug would be weary about giving in the Peacock and Butterfly miraculouses, so Lila's fingerprints would not be found.

If only Gabriel and Nathalie's cases would be that simple. They had so much evidence and crime stacked up against them that it would be practically impossible for them to get out of life-sentences.

Lila was lucky, though, she always had been.

She could deal with this, and she would deal with this with her head held high, because, as far as the public would soon know, she was innocent.

Unless Ladybug and Chat Noir had anything to say about it.

But they wouldn't, would they?

Because if they said a single word against Lila, she would be sure to make the torture Chat Noir supposedly endured feel like a little tickle.

This was their fault, all their fault. Lila was already plotting ways to get her revenge.

Bloody, gruesome, painful, agonising ways to make them pay for even looking in her direction.

Lila felt a thrill run through her. Her eyes darkened and the corners of her mouth perked up.

She would enjoy what she did to them.

They wouldn't, however.

...

Chat Noir shivered again, as his captor ran the cold metal against his neck.

"Wouldn't it just be so easy to let go? To let go of all your secrets? Let me know how Agreste and Sanoeur planned on bringing back Emilie Agreste. That's all I want."

Chat Noir shook his head again. He should have let Ladybug deal with whoever this was. She would have been able to deal with him in a matter of moments, while he was still here shaking because he couldn't get his superhero act together.

He felt his captor sigh against his exposed neck.

"If you don't want to talk, I'll just have to get Lady-"

"N-no!"

"I'm sorry, kitten."

Chat Noir felt his baton get pulled off his back.

"I want you to tell Ladybug that you need her help. Say you're on the top floor, third door down the hall. Tell her to knock." the voice paused for a few moments. "Start talking... now."

"Chat Noir? Are you okay? Do you need help?" Ladybug's worried voice came out of his baton.

"I- no, I- I- need you to come to- to come to- uh..." Chat Noir's mind went blank, and he heard the voice finish the sentence for him. He heard his baton disconnect the line a second later.

"Well, you just got your precious lady into the same position as you. Let's hope she's more willing to talk, for your sake."

...

Ladybug picked her yoyo up again as it started buzzing on her waist.

"Chat Noir? Are you okay? Do you need help?"

"I- no, I- I- need you to come to- to come to- uh..."

Ladybug frowned as he stuttered, then bit her lip as he continued, his voice suddenly firmer and colder.

"I need you to come to the top floor. I'm three doors down the hall, and I'll need you to knock before you come in."

Her yoyo closed, telling her Chat Noir had disconnected. Ladybug looked at the elevators, but sensed a trap. Instead, she made her way to the stairs, and used her yoyo to get to the top within a matter of seconds.

She walked down the hall, stopping when she passed the third door. She didn't bother knocking and just opened the door, coming face to face with Chloe and Félix and a fist that was moving way too fast towards her head.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this one. :)
> 
> Thank you all so, so, so, so much for all of the kudos and comments, every single one of them put a happy smile on my face :D

Chat Noir closed his eyes beneath the blindfold. This was his fault. Ladybug was going to come and get captured just like he was.

Wait, no, she wasn't.

Unlike him, she would be able to defend herself against the civilian who had captured him.

_The civilian._

Had he really been taken out and tied to a chair by a _civilian_?

How weak was he?

"Looks like your Lady is out in the hallway. How about we go and greet her?" Félix said from behind him, hearing the footsteps in the hallway.

"Please just leave her out of this! She hasn't done anything!" Chat Noir cried, pulling harder against the ropes on his arm, feeling them loosen slightly. He kept pulling.

"It's not what she's done. It's what you _haven't_ done." Félix replied. "Anyway, I'd like to get her back for punching me in the face a while ago..."

Chat Noir looked up to the voice, and wriggled his head desperately, trying to get the blindfold off. It sort of worked, as the bottom half of his left eye peaked out from beneath the fabric, and that was all he needed. He raised his head at and awkward angle so he could see. He gulped when he saw Félix.

What was Félix doing? Did he want to bring Emilie back, too, like Gabriel had wanted too?

Chat Noir turned his head even more, and saw a blonde ponytail, but nothing more.

He looked towards the door, his arms still pulling at the ropes. Once they were loose enough, he would be able to help Ladybug take Félix down. Well, more like Ladybug would take them down easily, while Chat Noir just stood there awkwardly like the weakling he was.

Félix was stronger than Chat Noir. A civilian was stronger than him. Chat Noir's stomach dropped again at the thought. He saw the door open, and then saw Félix throw a fist at Ladybug's head.

Then Chat Noir felt something he had never wanted to feel again.

"That's for when you punched me." Félix muttered.

Ladybug had quick reflexes, unlike him, and managed to dodge, causing the fist to brush past her earring. She jerked away and looked to Chat Noir, who was pulling his arm out of the rope. He managed to get it free and pulled off the blindfold, then worked on getting his legs and other arm free.

Ladybug tackled Félix to the ground and wrapped her yoyo around him tightly, looking around to find the other person she had seen.

"Hey! What are you doing? I'm Adrien-" Félix protested, bringing her attention back on him.

"No!" Chloé cried, leaping up from behind a sofa. "I let you pretend to be Adrien to get you into the party, but I will _never_ allow you to get him in trouble!"

"I already knew you were Félix, so put off the act." Ladybug said calmly, standing up, knowing there was no way Félix could get free without help. She looked to Chloé. "Did you have anything, I repeat _anything_ to do with this?"

"No! I just helped him get into the party, nothing more-"

"I think your spy gear says otherwise..." Félix murmured, chuckling as Chloé glared at him.

She stomped forward and stuck her face barely inches away from Ladybug's face.

"I wanted to look professional when I took you down because you are ridiculous and I wanted to leave Paris but I can't and that's your fault! I was Queen Bee until you stole my miraculous!"

Ladybug stared at her, confusion riddled across her face. She had no idea what Chloé had just said, and she didn't intend to find out.

"Chloé? You- you did this?"

Ladybug turned to see Chat Noir kick the final rope off, staring brokenly at Chloé.

"Well, I- no! This is all Félix's doing! I had nothing to do with it!" Chloé made her way to the door before Ladybug stepped in her way.

"If you had nothing to do with it, why are you so eager to leave?" Ladybug asked. "Exactly. Go and sit down where Chat Noir had been and stay quiet while we handle this."

"Stay quiet? How can I stay quiet when I am stuck in a room with a bunch of imbeciles?" Chloé snarled, looking at each of them in turn. "You, Ladybug, took away my miraculous and didn't let me become Queen Bee anymore. I'm sure people in New York would have been happy to see me and get saved by me, but no! You have to ruin my life by making my mummy and daddy fall in love again! Now I'm stuck in this stupid city with you! And you, Félix, I don't understand how you can even think about framing my Adrikins. And you, Chat Noir-"

"That's enough." Ladybug said.

She had tied Félix up using the ropes instead of her yoyo, and pulled him up so he was sitting beside Chloé.

"This seat is pretty warm... did you wet yourself from fright or something, kitty cat?" Félix asked, smirking at the look of disgust on Chloé's face.

"Ew!" Chloé practically screamed.

Ladybug bit her lip as Chat Noir lowered his head and wrapped his arms around himself, toes pointed inwards. She pulled him onto the balcony, ready to tell him to go to the bakery, when she realised that that wouldn't be the best option. She couldn't leave him alone, not again. She could perhaps keep him with her...

She unwillingly cringed at the sound of Chloé shrieking and Félix laughing his head off.

"Kitten, uh... did you?"

He lowered his head further, wrapping his arms around himself tighter as if they were the only things holding him together. Ladybug used her palm to slowly make him face her fully, and asked him again.

He nodded, mumbling a few things quickly after. "I- I- I d-didn't mean to- he- he was going to p-punch you and I- I p-panicked- I d-didn't feel it- it was only a l-little bit-"

"Shh, it's fine." Ladybug brought him into a hug, feeling his tears drip down her skin as their cheeks rubbed together. She whispered softly to him, trying to get him to calm down. "You're fine. There's nothing wrong with you. You just got scared for me, that's all..."

"Ew! Why are you _touching_ him, Ladybug?" Chloé whined.

Ladybug felt Chat Noir nuzzle his head into her neck, squeezing his eyes shut tight. She rubbed his back, hearing him whimper into her shoulder.

Chloé continued. "I never knew you were _that_ disgustin-"

"Okay, that's it." Ladybug pulled out of the hug, throwing her yoyo around Chloé and a chair, effectively restraining her.

Ladybug turned back to Chat Noir and pulled him inside, then out into the hallway. She didn't have her yoyo, so she wouldn't be able to call the police, but Chat Noir did have his baton. She saw him slip it off his back and hand it to her.

"Do you want to handle it, kitten?" Ladybug passed his baton back, hoping he would take it and feel like he could achieve something.

Chat Noir lowered his head again and shook it.

"Are you sure? It'll be really easy."

"No. I'll just mess it up somehow and then you'll need to save me because I'm too weak to save myself." Chat Noir muttered, not intending to say that aloud.

"Is that- is that what you think?" Ladybug's heart broke. "You're not too weak to save yourself... you were... just a bit frightened, because of what was done to you. There's nothing wrong with that."

She tilted his chin a little higher up so that he was looking at her rather than their feet. She took one of his hands and gave it a squeeze before she continued.

"You did exactly what I would have done if I had been in your place. You did nothing wrong and you've handled everything really well."

"B-but, I- I c-couldn't even g-get away from... from them without your help... _you_ handled it... not me... I couldn't even get free by myself..."

"Chat Noir, how were you supposed to escape from _two_ _adult_ miraculous holders who probably had a lot more experience than you?"

"It's not just them. I barely managed to get free from those _civilians_. What kind of miraculous holder can't hold their own against two normal people?"

"A miraculous holder who has experienced some very bad things. You need to stop putting yourself down, kitten." Ladybug pressed the baton into his hand. "You call the police and tell them what happened. You're not incapable. You were just a bit... hurt..."

Ladybug rung the police on Chat Noir's baton and held it up to his face. She gave him an encouraging nod as he started to speak to the person on the other end of the line.

"We need the police... uh... in Le Grande Paris. It's the... third floor..." Chat Noir said, trying to hold his voice steady, trying not to mess up a basic call. "I got... kidnapped... and Ladybug had to save me... again..."

Ladybug clenched her jaw and snatched the phone away.

"Hi, officer, this is Ladybug. Chat Noir got into a spot of trouble and I _helped_ him get out of it. _Together_ , we restrained the two." Ladybug said.

Chat Noir glanced at her, looking more ashamed of himself than ever.

Ladybug quickly finished talking and shut the baton, placing it on his back. She took his hands, and gave him a small kiss on his nose, gaining his full attention as his cheeks reddened.

"We did do it together, right, Partner?"

"You did. I just stood there like some-"

"You were scared and embarrassed. I would have done that, too." Ladybug pulled him back into the room, where both Félix and Chloé were struggling to get free.

"I- Chat Noir called the police. They should be here soon to pick you two up." Ladybug said, looking at them both.

"What? Why? What did we do?" Félix asked, anger and frustration written all over him.

Ladybug clenched her jaw.

"You probably filled Chat Noir's head with lies. You made him think he was worthless and weak, as if he couldn't do anythi-"

"It's not lying if it's true." Chloé snapped, furious when the strings crumpled her clothes slightly.

"No. It is _not_ true. Chat Noir is a hero who has sacrificed _so_ much to keep you safe, and this is how you repay him?" Ladybug asked, not even trying to hide her disgust.

"Hey, how about we just... put this all behind us. We co-" Félix started.

"No. Don't you even _think_ about trying to do that." Ladybug snarled.

She took Chat Noir's hand after taking her yoyo back, and pulled him to the balcony, shutting to door behind them. Chat Noir took his baton off his back, looking uneasily at the two people struggling to get free inside the room.

Chloé had been the first friend he had ever had, and Félix was his cousin. They were some of the people he had held closest to is heart, and yet they had done this. Chat Noir furrowed his brow as he remembered how badly Félix wanted to know how to bring Emilie back. Not just some random person, but he specifically asked how Gabriel had wanted to bring Emilie back.

Maybe Chloé and Félix wanted to do the same?

Chat Noir was sure seeing his mother again would be painful. How _wouldn't_ it be painful? He had already accepted that she was gone, and wouldn't come back, so why couldn't other people?

His stomach dropped as he realised that, in a way, he was fine with his mother not being alive. That he was okay with her not coming back, because...

"Kitten? You're crying..."

"What? Oh- um... sorry-"

"Don't be sorry, just try to calm down." Ladybug wiped away a tear that was on his mask, and took his hand. "What's the matter?"

"Is it- is it bad that I'm- that I'm okay with her... not being here?" Chat Noir croaked, his eyes brimming.

"Oh... uh... well, it just means that you have accepted that she's not going to come back. It's not selfish or mean or anything, if that's what you're thinking. Accepting that she's gone... that would be the best thing to do, and you've done that really well."

Chat Noir nodded, even though he didn't fully understand. Of course he was being selfish! He had been fighting his own family and friends, to stop them from doing something that they were doing for him. That wasn't very hero-ish of him, was it?

No, he didn't think so.

He followed Ladybug back to the bakery and watched her look around to make sure no one was watching them. She detransformed and he did the same, both catching their kwamis in their hands. Adrien opened the trapdoor and slipped inside after Marinette, passing Plagg a piece of camembert while Tikki got a cookie.

Adrien saw Marinette sit on the chaise and pat the spot next to her. Adrien sat down and looked at her, hoping they would talk about-

"How are you feeling?"

"I- I'm fine-"

"Okay then, how are you _really feeling_?"

"I- I- uh- I- f-feel fin-"

Marinette stopped him with her finger on his lips.

"You don't need to say you're fine, because you're not. I can tell. Are you... angry? Are you angry with Félix and Chloé?"

Adrien shook his head. "I d-don't think so."

"Okay, are you... upset... with yourself?"

Adrien swallowed a lump in his throat. She was really getting straight to the point...

"Y-yeah..."

She frowned, leaning back and pulling him closer to her. She took his hand and drew little patterns on the back of it with her finger, calming him down.

"What do you think of yourself?"

"I d-don't know-"

"You do. Come on, kitten, I want to help you." Marinette said. "What do you think of yourself?"

"I- I'm weak... and- and selfish... mean..." Adrien muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper, and yet it was still cracking. He tried to continue, but broke down instead.

He felt Marinette pull him in for a hug, and he rested his head on her shoulder. Through his sobs, he murmured more words he though he was, not one of them positive. Marinette waited until he had finished, then tilted his chin up, her lips placing a small kiss on his nose.

"Do you know how I fell in love with you?"

Adrien looked up at her. What did this have to do with anything? Unless... unless she was going to say that he wasn't the person she fell in love with, and she would leave him, and-

She placed another kiss on his face, this time on his forehead, silencing the words in his head.

"I first fell in love with you as Adrien. Do you remember that day? It was raining and you gave me your umbrella."

Adrien nodded.

"I didn't see some hot model- well, I did, but that's not why I love you. I saw someone who was kind and selfless and sweet and caring, and I'm seeing him right now when I look at you."

Adrien looked at her, his thought swirling in his head uncontrollably.

"I then realised I was sort-of in love with you as Chat Noir, too. Do you know what I saw?"

Adrien shook his head.

"I saw someone who was willing to risk everything for what they believed in. I saw someone who was willing to, and had, risked their life for me so many times. I saw a selfless, playful, free person who was just amazing. And I'm looking at that guy right now."

Adrien looked at her through teary eyes.

"You are not selfish, and you never have been. Yes, you did get overpowered by Félix and Chloé. But seriously, who can blame you? You were probably scared and frightened. Don't think I didn't see you shaking with fear when I saw you there. You have dealt with so much, emotionally, and physically, and you deserve so much more than what you have. Paris may not recognise all the things you have done, but I do. You are so full of heart and care so much about those around you that you literally never think about yourself. I love you, kitten."

"I- I- I- l-love y-you, t-too, m-m'l-lad-dy-" Adrien cried, hugging her.

...

"Ah, Robert, I've found you." Jenny said, smiling at the therapist.

"I believe you have. Who do I have the pleasure of meeting here?" Robert said, Gabriel's papers in his hand.

"Jenny. Just Jenny." She paused. "I trust you know that friends and family will be saying goodbye to Emilie Agreste in a few days?"

Robert nodded.

"The Mayor would like Gabriel Agreste, and perhaps Nathalie Sancoeur to be present and say a few words, would that be possible?" Jenny questioned.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Looking at the things he has done, I don't think the public would be pleased to have such a dangerous criminal do something like this." Robert said.

"There are many who knew him personally, such as his son. It may be seen as disrespectful to those who knew him and his wife, if he didn't say anything."

"I can see where you're coming from, but, I'm sorry, I don't think his physical condition would allow that to happen..."

"The Mayor has understood this, and allowed us to do something that can help. If, on the day, he is on a video call with someone who is able to physically attend, he will be able to say a few words, and still technically be 'present'."

Robert looked excited about the idea, but didn't hide his worry.

"That's a good idea, but I don't think we can trust him to do that." Robert said.

"How so?"

"Recently, he has tended to act on his emotions rather than thinking things through. I fear that he may say something... disrespectful... and it will be a public environment, so..."

"I understand." Jenny said. Another idea came to her mind. "What if we have a little test with him? Like, we say that he's live and will be talking to Emilie's grave and the people there, while there is nothing on the screen. We would be able to see his genuine reaction, as well as what he would say, and if he says something wrong..."

"Do you think we would be able to pre-record what he says, and then play the video on the screen on the day? If he is unable to speak live, of course." Robert said.

Jenny nodded.

They walking into his room, and Jenny felt a shiver run down her spine as she saw the cold, blank look Gabriel was giving her.

"You remember your wife, Emilie Agreste, right, Gabrie-" Robert started.

"Yes!" Gabriel snapped. "Of course I remember her! She is the one I wanted to get back through the wish!"

Jenny stood by his feet, and held up her phone. "Would you like to say goodbye to her?"

Gabriel's demeanour changed entirely. "Why?"

"In a few da-"

"Minutes," Jenny interrupted. "In a few minutes, there will be many people gathering in a cemetery to say goodbye to her. You have been invited to do so too, since she was your wife. What would you say?"

"I would say that I am sorry that her failure of a son didn't give up his miraculous when he had the chan-" Gabriel yelled, the words not understandable because of his broken voice.

"Shh, shh, breathe." Robert said to Gabriel, before looking to Jenny.

"Recording?" She asked.

"Recording." Robert sighed.

...

Lila looked at the jury, who were sitting down after going outside to think. The evidence had been presented. Evidence she hadn't even thought would exist. Both for and against her. There was more for her being guilty, but she was sure that was just her nerves.

Curse the witnesses, too. Even Alya, who was one of them.

"The jury have decided," the judge spoke.

Lila shook her head, trying to get the pounding in her head to stop, so that she could hear what the judge would say.

"That Miss Lila Rossi is innocent."

Lila and the court erupted into cheers. Adrien ran to her through the crowd and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips, and told her how much he loved her. Out of the window, Lila saw Marinette crying, as she ran out, closely dodging several cars.

Lila grinned.

She should have never doubted herself.

Adrien pulled her into the classroom, where Marinette was sitting all alone. Lila and Adrien spoke all throughout the lesson, laughing about how Marinette kept getting late. They rushed out of the classroom like the couple that they were.

They saw Ladybug and threw tomatoes at her, the redness covering the spots on her suit. They passed Chat Noir and pushed him into the Seine, where he leapt out and started shaking, running back to his Lady on all fours.

They laughed and ate ice cream together. The largest scoop was orange, the middle scoop was green, and the top scoop was red. They giggled and went into the bakery where Marinette lived, their arms wrapped around each other.

Marinette started crying again, and she said-

"The jury finds Miss Lila Rossi guilty." The judge said, snapping Lila out of her fantasy.

_The jury finds Miss Lila Rossi guilty._

_The jury finds Miss Lila Rossi guilty._

_The jury finds Miss Lila Rossi guilty._

_Oh._

_Heck._

...

"Do you think we should have a reveal?" Marinette asked, sketching a dress in her book.

"But we already know our identities." Adrien said as he turned off his phone

"Well, I know that, but... with the other heroes."

"Wait, you already know who they are, right?"

"Yeah, but you don't. How about we arrange a sort of meeting among us, and reveal ourselves to each other?"

"That sounds... fun..." Adrien said.

"You don't like the idea, do you?"

"No, no, it's not that. Like, it would be really cool if we all revealed ourselves and stuff, but... what if they're disappointed?"

"By you? No way, kitten."

"They probably don't even know me personally, and they're not going to like me, and I'm just going to have messed it up-"

"Actually, they do know you personally, as Adrien."

"Wait, like... _personally_ personally?"

"Yup, personally personally." Marinette grinned.

"Are you sure they're not goin-"

"I promise you, they will not be disappointed by you in any way."

"Uh, yeah... can we do that reveal thing then?"

Marinette placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

"I'm working on it right now." Marinette said.

"Wait, weren't you Multimouse?" Adrien asked.

"Yes, but that stuff you saw after we defeated Kwamibuster was actually just an illusion."

"That was a really clever illusion, M'lady..."

"Hey, you're really clever too, you know."

Adrien nodded after a few moments.

"You have a miraculous, and Luka, Chloe, Max and Kagami had one... did you give them, to some of the people from school?"

"See, I told you that you were really clever!"

...

"Hurry up, Nino-"

"I just got in!"

"Well... still!"

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know! Just hurry, or we're going to be late!"

"Late for what? You still haven't told me." Nino said, unlocking the bathroom door.

Alya grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the house, and they started the walking to the park.

"Where are we going?" Nino asked again.

"Marinette invited us to go to the park with her and Adrien. They say they have something important to tell us, so do you know what that means?"

"Uh... damn, is it your birthday? I didn't forge-"

"No, not my birthday. That important thing that they want to tell us is totally them telling us that they are now a couple. I'm sure of it!"

"You sure, Al? I don't think they would make a whole declaration about it. Plus, if they did, Adrien's fans would... not be very happy."

"Yeah, well, they've got to deal with it. And there they are!" Alya said.

She pulled Nino behind a wall and peered over the edge, seeing Marinette and Adrien holding hands, with Adrien looking nervous and Marinette looking confident.

"It's like their roles have switched..." Alya said.

"What d'you mean?"

"Normally Marinette is the shy one, but she looks pretty confident now. Adrien's the nervous one."

"Really?"

"Yep. And this is definitely them telling us they're a couple, they're holding hands!"

"Your sisters hold hands, but that doesn't make them a couple."

Alya elbowed Nino and then pulled him around the wall.

"Hey, girl! You too, Adrien!" Alya burst.

"Alya! Nino! We have something very important to tell you guys. But, you can't tell anyone." Marinette said, lowering the phone Alya was no doubt filming them with.

"Right, of course... sorry... anyway, what did you want to tell us?"

"Uh, we have just gotta wait for a few more people... there they are!" Marinette waved to some of their classmates and friends as they came over. She counted them and then nodded to herself, and Adrien, squeezing his hand to assure him that everything will be fine.

"We all know each other, so yeah... that's good... Anyway before we tell you what we want to tell you, there is one this that links all of us, so... take a guess to what it could be." Marinette said, taking in their looks of confusion.

"We all go to the same school, and we're all in the same class?" Kim asked.

"I'm not in your class, so perhaps it is something else?" Kagami asked, nodding at Luka too.

Marinette nodded, despite knowing that there were never going to get it.

"It's something that no-one, except a few, know about you," she said.

She saw Nino and Alya share a look, and Alya mutter 'miraculous?' under her breath, not loud enough for the others to hear.

"It's something that you have previously not been allowed to let others know about because of Hawkmoth." Marinette rubbed her thumb across Adrien's hand as she said the word.

Marinette looked around, and clearly no one was going to say anything, so she decided to drop the bomb. She nodded to Adrien, signalling to him to say something that would give it all away.

"Do you think they're going to get it, M'lady?"

The group gaped at Adrien, unintentionally intimidating him with their stares.

"So, do any of you know what's in common with us all now?" Marinette asked.

"We- we're all- we all used a miraculous?" Kim said, looking at the others' reactions. They nodded along with him, then looked to Marinette and Adrien.

"You're Ladybug..." Luka said, struggling to his hide awe.

"Well, yeah, but this isn't about me. This is about this little kitten getting something he should have gotten long ago." Marinette said, gently guiding Adrien forward.

Alya started to speak. "I- I wanted to punch you when I thought you were a criminal... I thought you were a criminal... we didn't trust... I am so, so sorry, Adrien! I had no idea that you were the same person- I wanted to help Adrien, but you're Adrien, and Chat Noir is Adrien-"

"I knew there was something familiar about you, Adrien!" Kagami said.

Some other members of the group echoed about how sorry they were for mistreating him, while Adrien insisted that it was all fine, as he usually did.

"How did you manage to keep your identity hidden from your father for so long?" Max asked, fiddling with his glasses and he squinted, trying to picture Adrien wearing the Chat Noir mask.

"He never really checked in on me..." Adrien said, looking at the ground.

"So... that means that you... your father tortured you... Adrien, are you okay?" Luka asked, putting a hand on Adrien's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine..."

"Dude, you're like, the hero of Paris! My respect for you have just tripled and tripled again." Nino said.

The others nodded and agreed enthusiastically, eager to give Adrien the gratitude that he should have gotten long ago. They engulfed him in a large hug that melted his heart, and he only then allowed himself to cry tears of joy.

Did this mean that what Marinette told him was true?

That people really did want him?

That he wasn't worthless?

The affectionate hugs gave him his answer.

He felt a vibration come from his back pocket, so he took out his phone. He tapped on the notification and read through the email that he got sent.

"You okay? You look... upset about something..." Alya said, trying to see what had caused Adrien's mood to change so suddenly.

"I- I've been invited to- to s-say g-goodbye to- to my m-mother-"


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter, yay!
> 
> whoosh

Marinette's eyes shifted from each person in the area. She recognised a few, like Amelie and Félix and Chloé (and also the officers standing not too far away, keeping their eyes on Félix's and Chloé's backs).

With their entwined hands, she gently led Adrien away from them. This wasn't about Félix or Chloé, or even Gabriel Agreste. This was about Adrien doing something he should have been able to do long ago - say goodbye to his mother.

Marinette found a spot in front of the newest grave, one which had the words 'Emilie Agreste' carved into the stone beneath the statue of the smiling white angel. The angel smiled down at Adrien through the glumness of the day, and Marinette could feel him squeeze her hand. She squeezed it back, noticing his quick heartbeat in his hand.

Everyone who had gathered looked up as Nathalie stepped forward, a tablet in her hands. Marinette glanced behind her, seeing a police car and two calm officers watching her through the damp trees.

"Hello, Emilie," Gabriel said from the tablet.

Several people jumped at the sudden sound, but did their best to hide their surprise.

"I- I- I have done some very bad things, but I am not here to focus on that. Instead, I would like to apologise for what I had done to you. I was the one who allowed you to use that broken miraculous. I was the one who watched you become weaker and weaker, while I did nothing. I am sorry, and I think you know what I have done to bring you back. It was a promise we had made a long time ago. You probably remember it. It was around the time Adrien was born."

The fog in the cemetery grew slightly, making the wall between Gabriel and his son obvious.

"We promised that, if either of us would pass, we would bring them back, for our son, whether it was through science or rituals... or a wish. I chose the wish, as you probably know. I have to admit, that I didn't do it in the best way... or at all. I am sorry for failing you, Emilie. I will not ask for forgiveness, what I have done... it can't be forgiven just like that. My therapist, he told me the best was to get your forgiveness, is to get forgiveness from our son. I am sorry I haven't been treating him well in the past few years. You had always been the one to keep me on track, and... you haven't been here to do so."

"I am sorry for corrupting your mind, all those times when I told myself it would be the last time... it never was. I am sorry for what I've done to our son. I will do the best I can to be the father you think- know he deserves."

On the screen, Gabriel's face was tense, a clear sign he was feeling other emotions, as well as grief. Marinette watched him move his eyes to the top of the screen, his jaw clenched angrily. Suddenly, the screen cut to him calmly looking. Marinette frowned, and pushed the confusion away so she could focus on more important things - the boy who was on the brink of tears beside her.

He sniffed quietly as Amelie stepped forward.

"You were my sister, Emilie, and you always will be. I might not have said it very much, but I do love you. Every time I look at Adrien, I can see your eyes shining brightly through him, and it... it makes me feel that you are still here, even when you are not. I can still remember those days where we would play jokes on one another when we were younger, or when we would trick our parents into thinking we were the other." Amelie said, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I also remember when Félix and Adrien would do the same, and you always looked really proud, as if they were following in our footsteps, as you had told me. Of course, you will still be the same amazing person to the boys as you used to be."

"As Gabriel did, I would also like to apologise... I know that, when we were younger, I often took some jokes too far, and I am very sorry for everything I did that didn't make you smile. I hope- I hope you're smiling now. Whether you're a ghost or someone new... I hope you're still smiling." Amelie finished, stepping back to show that she was done. She lowered her head and brought her sleeve to her eyes, rubbing them. The sleeve came down with a dark patch where she had been rubbing her eyes.

Marinette looked to Adrien, who was about to speak. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before letting him step forward to speak.

"I miss you... I miss how you would hold me in your arms when I was sad and how you would tell me a joke to make me laugh when I was down. I miss how you would always smile to me whenever you got the chance to and how you would- how you would cross your eyes and stick your tongue out at me when guests weren't looking. I- I also miss how you would always give me a hug, even when I'd been bad, because you- you would say that hugging and teaching was better than punishing and telling." Adrien said softly, a small smile spreading on his face as he reminisced on all of his memories with her. "I r-remember when you started to get those dizzy spells, and you started to stay in bed more and more... I- I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye sooner... I guess I just thought that if I didn't, it would be like you were still here... with me..."

"Thinking about that... helped a lot... you helped me get through those times when I- when I was scared and I didn't know what was going to happen or if I was even going to make it through at all and everything was just hurting so, so much... you- you were- you were one of those few people who kept me going- I imagined you saying how everything would be okay, and... it is... thank you, so, so, so much... for everything. You have always been with me... and I hope you still will be. I- I know this was supposed to be a goodbye, but- I- I don't think I'm ready yet, even though it's been over a year now... but I will anyway, because- because you always told me to be strong... so..." Adrien sniffed, his hands shaking by his side, he looked up to the stone angel, almost seeing his mother in her delicate features.

"G-goodbye, I- I love you, and I always will..." Adrien said, his voice a croaky whisper.

He stepped back and felt Marinette take his hand gently, her thumb rubbing the back of his hand as their fingers entwined.

He wasn't nearly as alone as he thought he was.

He looked at the fallen leaves on the ground, seeing their colours become blurred together in a mixture or red and orange and yellow.


End file.
